TOI: Encroachments: Civic officials face the heat: April 24, 2008 | Mumbai Projects by Government

Mumbai: The government will soon amend the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and introduce punishments for civic officials supporting encroachments. This was announced by Rajesh Tope, minister of state for urban development, in the legislative council on Tuesday.

Replying to a discussion on Mumbai’s problems, Tope said officials supporting encroachments and those not taking action against the same would be penalised.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena-BJP government had passed a resolution for suspending assistant municipal commissioners and senior police inspectors if unauthorised

constructions came up in their wards, but the law was barely used.

Tope said an officer of the level of inspector-general of police would be appointed in the BMC and three police stations set up to tackle encroachments. He also assured the council that the BMC had made a plan to evict slumdwellers from 10 m on either side of the water mains. Around 16,000 slums will be removed, he added.

In his reply, the minister apprised the members of the development plans drawn up by the BMC and MMRDA. The MLCs, however, said he was repeating the same thing for the last three sessions. Acting chairperson Jagdish Gupta then said the minister should give specific replies.

Tope said most cities in the world have affordable housing but Mumbai does not have it. “More than 5,000 homes of 160 sq ft will be constructed in the city and the MMRDA will be the nodal agency.’’

Sena’s Deepak Sawant asked the minister to address the issue of rising number of cars in Mumbai.

Tope said Mumbai will not face any water shortage as the state has sanctioned funds for the Middle Vaitarna project.

ACTING TOUGH: The government will soon amend the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and introduce punishments for civic officials supporting encroachments