Ex-environment minister owns flat in building under CRZ scanner
Other bigwig flat owners include former Rajya Sabha Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, and the kin of former BMC Commissioner Jairaj Phatak and BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade……..By Akela
Other bigwig flat owners include former Rajya Sabha Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar, and the kin of former BMC Commissioner Jairaj Phatak and BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade……..By Akela
The State Government has issued a notice to the proposed Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society – an under-construction building at Cuffe Parade – for violating Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
Ironically, erstwhile minister of environment and forest department, Suresh Prabhu, has a flat in the very same building.
Other prominent citizens who own properties in the plush building – with flats costing between Rs 3 to 5 crore – include former Rajya Sabha Speaker Babasaheb Kuppekar; Kanishk, son of former BMC Commissioner Jairaj Phatak; and Devyani, the daughter of BEST General Manager Uttam Khobragade.
In its November 3 notice, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has pulled up R C Thakur, the chief promoter of the 32-storey building, for not obtaining the necessary construction permissions from the MCZMA and Ministry of Environment and Forest Department.
The notice asked Thakur to submit all relevant documents to the concerned departments within 15 days of the notice, failing which action would be initiated under provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
MCZMA issued the notice following a series of complaints filed by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) against the said construction.
“The proposed society has not been cleared by the concerned authorities. Violation of the CRZ Act is a cognizable offence and could lead to imprisonment of up to five years,” said Simpreet Singh, a senior member of NAPM.
Thakur, however, denied that he had received the MCZMA notice.
“I have all the necessary documents, including those from the High Rise Committee of the Bombay High Court. Once I receive the notice I will file an appropriate reply,” he said.
Interestingly, Y P Singh, former IPS officer, advocate, and an expert on CRZ laws does not believe that the notice will serve any purpose.
“Unfortunately, many senior IAS officers who have held statutory powers have their sons and daughters as members of the proposed society. It is very unlikely that ‘Stop Work Orders’ will be issued and the desirable civil and criminal action taken,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jairaj Phatak and Babasaheb Kuppekar expressed surprise when informed about the notice.
“It is true that my son Kanishk is the society member, but I am unaware of the notice sent by the MCZMA,” Phatak said.
Uttam Khobragade refused to speak on the matter, while Suresh Prabhu was unavailable for comment.
What is CRZ
The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was set in place in 1991 under the stringent provisions contained in the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Under CRZ provisions, the areas that were occupied by mangroves were classified as being in CRZ-I.
This classification made the place very restrictive, and only those construction activities related to ports and harbours and those allied with them, were permitted in those areas.
Any violation of norms would not only lead to the undoing of the construction, but also to penal consequences, including imprisonment of up to five years under Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.