Activist sends notice to BMC chief over Narayan Rane’s Juhu bungalow

Activist has said all construction beyond height of 11.75 metres be demolished

The row over BJP leader and Union minister Narayan Rane's Adish Bungalow has taken yet another turn. The activists, who had raised the issue of alleged unauthorised construction at the bungalow in Juhu a few years ago, on Monday sent a legal notice to municipal commissioner I S Chahal. The activist has demanded that all construction beyond the height of 11.75 metres and granted free of FSI be demolished.

The BMC had granted 15 more days to Rane for the removal of unauthorised work. In response, Rane on Monday moved the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the notices.

Narayan Rane

As per the notice sent by advocate and former IPS officer Y P Singh on behalf of RTI activist Santosh Daudkar, there are multiple violations in the construction of a nine-storey bungalow, at plot no. 16, Juhu Scheme.

The activist claimed that the first is a violation without consent of the officer and another is a violation with the consent and connivance of the corporation's officers. However, the civic body decided to issue a show-cause notice only with respect to the first violation.

The letter stated that the layout of the larger plot of 3,711 square metres, where the bungalow is situated, along with a plush hotel and another structure, was approved by the commissioner in 1978. This included an area for means of access and a garden plot. While constructing the bungalow the layout garden was delinked and the means of access was compromised.

Daudkar alleged that the approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forest was for ground plus three floors, having a height of 11.75 metres for the structure under CRZ areas. However, a building of a height of 32 metres has been constructed, which is a violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. He even mentioned in the notice that a huge free FSI of more than four times the normal has been granted which is a violation of the CRZ notification. 

The layout garden was classified as CRZ-III violation where construction of every type was banned and plush hotel was constructed on it.

1978
The year in which layout of 3,711 square metres was approved by the commissioner

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