Stop housing project work: Air Force Station to PMC

Wing Commander R R Lall,spokesperson,IAF 2 Wing said,“After the first report,we wrote a fresh letter on September 12 to the PMC saying the construction is unauthorised as it did not have an MoD clearance. In the letter,we asked them to stop work. A similar letter had been sent earlier.”

According to a letter dated May 18,2011,the Ministry of Defence (MoD) upheld the powers of station commanders to refer such matters to higher formations if he felt any construction could be a security hazard. The IAF Lohegaon station had taken up the matter with higher formations,HQ,South Western Air Command (SWAC) and the Air Headquarters,which supported the IAF station stand. It may be noted that 2 Wing is a sensitive military establishment given it houses two squadrons of India’s frontline Sukhoi fighters besides a base repair depot and sensitive weapon units. The elevation of SRA buildings is such that when The Indian Express reporters visited the spot,an entire Sukhoi squadron was clearly visible from atop the buildings.

PMC commissioner Mahesh Pathak,who is also the CEO of the SRA said,“We received a letter dated September 12. It reached us today. A decision on the letter will be taken once the letter and the file are put up on my table.”

He denied having received any such letter earlier. Interestingly,links of the stories published on The Indian Express website were also forwarded to the chief minister’s office by Sarang Kamtekar,an Express reader and an activist.

The CM’s office in turn forwarded them to the Principal Secretary,Housing. When contacted,Gautam Chatterjee,principal secretary,Housing confirmed that the email had been received.