The state government on Tuesday released a list of 64 bungalows at Versova of which 30 were built in violation of the development control rules (DCR) and environmental norms.
The government said it has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take stringent cation against owners of these bungalows.
In a written reply in the assembly, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 64 bungalows built on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) plots were allotted in 1990 and 1998. These houses were issued after the receiving no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the Central authorities.
Fadnavis said 34 owners built their bungalows according to the plan approved by the civic body and after obtaining NOC from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority. He also assured action against the 30 owners ho violated the 2005 guidelines by the Bombay High Court during construction.
It also came to the fore that in January and February, the district collector wrote to the BMC twice, asking it to take action against the owners who violated the construction norms. In its reply, the civic body informed the collector that only 34 bungalows were issued occupancy certificates (OCs). The BMC also said that illegal construction done by 10 owners have ben razed so far.
In a similar case registered at Seawoods in Navi Mumbai, minister of state for urban development Ranjit Patil said he would register a case against Venus housing society. Investigation revealed the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) incurred losses after plots to Venus and 81 other housing societies were sold at concessional rate. A probe by IAS officer DK Sankaran also found several irregularities. The initial probe was conducted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which submitted its report way back in May 2013 .
Shiv Sena’s Sunil Prabhu raised the issue during the question hour in assembly, and questioned the delay in initiating action despite the CID submitting its report four years ago. Other MLAs questioned whether the CID had recommended legal action against societies and whether the government would reclaim the plot sighting irregularities. Patil said that the government may impose fines before reclaiming the plot.