NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has issued show-cause notices to 295 personnel, including 10 deputy municipal commissioners, 91 assistant municipal commissioners, 75 junior engineers, and 119 clerical staff from the encroachment section, for their roles in allowing widespread illegal constructions, according to Umesh K Parida.
In this case, Cidco has been brought into the proceedings for appropriate adjudication, but not as a contempt party.
This information was included in an affidavit submitted by the NMMC to the Bombay High Court. A two-judge bench is currently reviewing a contempt petition filed by advocate Kishor Shetty, requiring these staff members to provide their explanations within eight days.
The 661-page affidavit names a doctor-turned-DMC involved in a corruption scandal, as well as another doctor currently functioning as an additional municipal commissioner and a former AMC now serving as a DMC.
Notices have been sent to 17 AMCs in various wards: Nerul (17), Ghansoli (14), Airoli (13), Vashi (12), Belapur (10), Turbhe (9), Digha (9), and Koparkhairane (7). For junior engineers, the distribution is as follows: Belapur (18), Airoli (12), Turbhe (9), Koparkhairane (8), Nerul (8), Vashi (7), Ghansoli (7), and Digha (6).
The commissioner has assured the High Court that necessary disciplinary actions will follow after reviewing the explanations provided by those involved.
From June 16 to July 6, the civic body dismantled 30 out of 4,946 unauthorized structures. The affidavit indicates that these eight wards house 29 gaonthans (villages) with 3,342 unauthorized structures, along with 1,604 structures in low-income group colonies and societies.
Furthermore, Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre has raised concerns regarding these structures in the state assembly, reflecting growing unrest among local villagers. These homes have been present for 50-60 years, and many believe that the proliferation of unauthorized constructions could have been mitigated had Cidco provided timely benefits to project-affected individuals.
