TOI : Squatters take over new market bldgs : Sept 29, 2007
BMC DRAGS FEET
Squatters take over new market bldgs
Shalini Nair I TNN
Mumbai: The redevelopment of Crawford Market might have stirred up a storm,
but that hasn’t stopped the municipal corporation from parcelling out space
reserved for markets. The BMC had taken over two newly built markets-one in
Powai and the other at Sakinaka-over the last two years only to allow
illegal encroachments to come up inside the premises.
Both plots were reserved for providing market facilities for local
residents. As required under the development plan, in both cases the plot
owners had constructed a building for market on part of the land and handed
it over to the BMC so that the owners could utilise the rest of the area for
themselves.
The BMC took possession of the single-storeyed building on the 7,500 sq
ft plot at Hiranandani complex in Powai in 2005. This was followed by the
taking over of a similar sized plot and building at Sakinaka junction on the
Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road in 2007.
However, instead of immediately letting out space in the two buildings
to vendors for market purpose, the BMC entered in to a 60-year agreement to
lease out the building at Powai to a private individual who runs a hotel
there. The other building in Sakinaka is being illegally used as a godown by
a hotelier nearby.
According to local MLA Naseem Khan, the BMC is planning to officially
lease out even the second building. “This area needs market facilities for
the general public. Instead, the BMC in collusion with some
politicians is parcelling out municipal market plots to serve private
interests,” alleged Khan, who spoke to municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak
on the issue on Thursday.
Assistant municipal commissioner A L Wagralkar said that the BMC will be
“removing the encroachments” from the Sakinaka building. He agreed that the
BMC had leased the Powai building to a private party. “A eating house is one
of the facilities in the market, ” he said. When asked if this means that
an entire building meant for market can be used as a private restaurant, he
added, “We will look into why he has used up the entire space for a hotel.”
Publication:Times Of India Mumbai; Date:Sep 29, 2007; Section:Times City;
Page Number:5