BMC suspends 105 for not vacating unfit bldgs
Employees of the civic body are complaining that the transit camps are far away
MUMBAI: Prafulla Solanki, 39, who works as a sweeper in the civic body’s F-north ward (Parel, Sewri, Naigaum), feels cheated for diligently doing his job as the administration suspended him for three months on September 30 for not leaving the four-storey staff quarters, which is in dilapidated state because of lack of maintenance by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) itself.
Solanki says the transit accommodation being offered to him is in a remote location at Mahul in Trombay with no bus stop, school or a market located nearby.
Another 104 tenants living in the two civic staff quarters in Gautam Nagar, Dadar (East), are also in a similar crisis after the BMC suspended them for three months for not abiding by the eviction notices served to them. Tenants of one of the buildings were forcibly evicted last week after water and power connections were cut off.
This poses pertinent questions about the BMC’S apathy and neglect towards its own buildings, which has led to their decrepit condition. Lack of a foolproof rehabilitation policy only makes matters worse.
“What is our fault if the BMC failed to maintain the buildings? They have autocratically decided to evict us without even conducting a structural audit or giving us feasible alternate accommodation,” said Solanki. Residents claim there is an open space lying vacant adjacent to the colony, where they could be easily provided with transit houses.
Though civic officials admit there was no structural audit carried out, they maintain the suspension orders will not be withdrawn. “It would take at least a year to build new houses on the vacant plot as proposed by the tenants, while houses in Mahul are already available,” said Prakash Patil, deputy municipal commissioner, solid waste management.
Patil said the buildings were legitimately declared dilapidated in 2009 as per the survey procedures.
“We fear we will never be given houses again in this area. Tenants of another building, which was demolished 10 years ago, are still living in transit houses,” said Devendra Solanki, 45.