BMC razes structures to ease traffic flow in Bandra East

The area cleared outside Bandra East station. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has demolished the office of the Shiv Sena (UBT) former corporator at Bandra East. The former corporator, Haji Muhammad Khan claimed that the civic body has demolished Shiv Sena shakha office which has been at the location for 20 years. Civic officials said the action followed suggestions by the traffic police and that other "illegal" structures in the vicinity were also demolished. Meanwhile, UBT party workers tried to persuade the BMC officers to not raze the structure, but the demolition was carried out anyway, in the presence of a large police force.

"Before the demolition began, civic officials claimed they had come to demolish the illegal auto-rickshaw stand. But they then demolished the shakha office. How can they demolish a 20-year-old structure without giving notice," Khan questioned while alleging that the action was taken as he refused to join the Shinde faction. According to a BMC official, the office bearers had been served a notice to voluntarily raze an unauthorised portion of the office. "The office was illegal," said the official.

"The traffic police said a few structures near the railway station are disturbing traffic. We have also demolished auto-rickshaw/taxi stands, reading libraries and some other structures disrupting traffic movement," said another official. According to Shital Mhatre, spokesperson of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BMC follows norms before taking any action. "If he claims the office was authorised he can appeal to the BMC administration and even in court," she said, adding that her party doesn't indulge in such practices to put political pressure on anyone.

The BMC said it also demolished three unauthorised temporary auto-rickshaw/taxi stands and two wachnalay (reading library) constructed using galvanised iron (GI) sheets and mild steel angles for walls, with asbestos cement sheet roofing outside the Bandra East station premises. Additionally, five stalls constructed using wood and GI sheets were also demolished.

To carry out the operation, the BMC had help from 12 personnel from the Nirmal Nagar police station, personnel from the BKC traffic police and 25 reserve police force personnel. There were also 25 officers from the anti-encroachment department of H-East ward, 20 from its maintenance department and 10 from the H-East disaster control room present during the action.

20 yrs
Time the UBT shakha had been there