Mumbai: Juhu's Bar Bank fails to convince BMC, loses furniture

Bar Bank on Juhu-Tara Road. File Pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday seized some items of furniture from the newly opened restaurant Bar Bank opposite Juhu Chowpatty. It had, earlier, warned of action and sent a notice to the eatery for allegedly operating without a licence. It finally took action after finding the reply submitted by the restaurant "unsatisfactory".

mid-day had reported on November 6 on the BMC directing the eatery to down shutters for operating illegally and causing a nuisance to public.

Action for the sake of it?
Following up on the issue, the civic body visited the restaurant on Monday morning and seized a few items - 10 iron chairs, two wooden chairs, three wooden tables, and an induction cooktop. Ward officials told mid-day that if the restaurant doesn't secure the required permissions, a prosecution case will be filed against it. However, the activist who has been complaining to the BMC about the issue called Monday's action cosmetic and superficial.

Ganesh Kusumulu said, "Acting on my complaints, BMC did issue a notice; but here is a structure standing without the civic body's knowledge, without any permissions, and all the BMC does is take away a few tables and chairs. There needs to be more serious action, like demolition; such superficial actions are not going to help to curb encroachment and illegal activities."

Officialspeak
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of K-west ward Prashant Gaikwad said, "We have issued a notice under section 394 of the MMC Act. If the premises isn't vacated in seven days, prosecution will be started, as the first step - seizure of restaurant property - is already completed." Owner of Bar Bank Mihir Desai was unavailable for comment.

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