But the reason for the structure's durability is not concealed in any civil engineering feat. Its brick and mortar is simply held together by the might of the ruling Shiv Sena, by the civic authoritries' own admission.

Now, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is widening the road from the present 25 feet to 40 feet as per the city's Development Plan, has hit another road-block. The same Sena shakha, which is plum in the middle of the road-widening stretch, is blocking the passage of a new storm-water drain which is part of the project. As if testimony to the clout of the structure's stubborn patrons, thepipes being laid on either side of the shakha have come to an abrupt halt outside the structure's walls.

K-East Ward Officer Sahebrao Ghatge-Patil told Express Newsline that the BMC has not razed the shakha yet as the Sainiks had volunteered to demolish it themselves. ``In February, the shakha staff requested the ward office for a month. Hence we did not interefere,'' Patil says.

However, he adds, a city legislator has also been leaning on the ward office in defence of the shakha. Patil says the legislator has asked for another week before the Sena office is razed. He says the ward office, which needs to push the shakha back by six feet for the road-widening, would undertake the demolition if the Sainiks failed to do so.

Meanwhile, shopowners who have lost their establishments at Jawhar Nagar, are infuriated, alleging that the ward office is sheilding the shakha. ``They are giving the Sena time whereas they did not even serve us notice before demolishing our shops,'' one of them complains. ``Theyrazed out structures in a single day, which is a rare feat. Why has it taken more than three months to demolish the shakha?''

Besides, they claim, all of them have not yet been provided alternative accommodation. Of the 736 shopowners, those whose shops were only partly demolished have been given oral permission by the BMC to construct over their partially-razed structures. They say they had asked for written permission but were refused. Of the remaining 100-odd traders who lost their shops, Patil says all of them have been rehabilitated. However, he says that even though about 100 shops had been demolished completely, he had received more than 500 applications for alternative accommodation.

Hence, while a handful of petty traders haggle over a few square feet, an influential politician keeps vigil over a tiny Sena office.