Mumbai BMC Serves Notices To 2 Officials Over Supreme Court Case, Borivali East Demolition Of 27 Structures Sparks Row

Mumbai: Facing embarrassment in the Supreme Court over its failure to act against illegal constructions in Borivali East, the BMC has initiated action against two officials by issuing them show-cause notices. Those served include the Assistant Municipal Commissioner of R-Central ward, Praful Tambe, and a law officer, Komal Punjabi. The notices follow the apex court's Tuesday order to withhold Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide's November salary, which was subsequently withdrawn on Wednesday.

BMC Identifies Lapses In Court Proceedings

Even as the BMC began fixing responsibility for the embarrassment before the Supreme Court, the demolition drive triggered political intervention. Former BJP MP Gopal Shetty, accompanied by party representatives and affected residents, met Bhide and other senior civic officials on Thursday to raise objections to the demolition of 27 structures on a plot reserved for a BEST bus depot in Borivali East. The civic body's internal assessment, meanwhile, identified alleged lapses at two levels. "The ward-level officer failed to keep senior officials informed about the court proceedings, while the law officer did not ensure effective representation of the BMC's position before the Supreme Court," a senior civic official said.

Shetty Questions Demolition Of 27 Structures

Meanwhile, during the meeting with civic officials, Shetty questioned the legal basis for demolishing the 27 structures, maintaining that they were protected structures. He also raised concerns over the manner in which the case was handled before the Supreme Court, alleging that the affected occupants were not given an adequate opportunity to present their side during the hearing. An affected resident who attended the meeting further alleged that the occupants were not even given sufficient time to remove their belongings before the demolition drive was carried out.

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BMC To Examine Residents' Grievances

Defending the demolition, a senior official said the civic body had acted in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions. The administration, however, has agreed to examine the grievances of the affected occupants, with a meeting scheduled at the BMC headquarters on Friday to assess their claims and determine whether any residents were wrongly covered by the demolition drive. Meanwhile, Tambe and Punjabi were not available for comment.

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