Eknath Shinde govt orders demolition of two coastal resorts allegedly owned by ex-minister Anil Parab

While it fought the Uddhav Thackeray faction in the Assembly on Thursday, the Shinde Sena struck yet another blow to its adversaries, by ordering the demolition of coastal resorts, allegedly owned by former minister Anil Parab, considered very close to the Sena president.

While the Shinde and Thackeray groups shouted slogans against each other outside the Assembly and confronted each other inside it on Thursday, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, which is part of the Environment and Climate Change Department, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, issued a letter to the Ratnagiri Collector and the chairperson of the district coastal zone monitoring committee, saying the district body was empowered to take action against the unauthorised constructions carried out in the CRZ area - in this case the two properties branded as Sai Resort and Sea Conch Resort.

The collector has been asked to submit the action taken report which will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A joint team of experts from the Union Ministry and state inspected the resort last month and recommended demolition on August 22, 2022.

Also read: Somaiya to visit Ratnagiri to demand razing of resort 'linked' to Anil Parab

Expert panel says

The expert committee's report says that the construction is in violation of CRZ Notification 2011 (Section 8 III (ii) of the Notification). One more road near the resort connecting to the approach road is also in the No Development Zone in CRZ III. It said the remedial measures therefore should be removal of the unauthorised structures in their entirety from the NDZ and restoration of the area to its original condition. The likely debris and other materials to be generated from the demolition need to be collected properly and transported safely either for reprocessing/reusing or for disposal with prior approval of the local competent authority, as per the prevailing provisions.

The committee has recommended environmental compensation to be recovered for the violation under ‘polluters pay principle'. Sea Conch has been asked to pay Rs 37,91,250 and Sai Resort Rs 25,27,500. The cost towards demolition, transport and disposal of waste and restoration of the area including plantation and development in line with the surrounding environment will have to be calculated separately through the competent authority, it said.

Parab has been facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation in a money laundering case in connection with a resort constructed in Murud, tehsil Dapoli, in Ratnagiri, allegedly by him in violation of the CRZ rules. The leader has denied all allegations in the subsequent inquiries and public statements. BJP's former MP, Kirit Somaiya, has raked up the issue. He said he will go to Dapoli on Saturday.

Action against Parab is seen as yet another blow to the Thackeray camp, following the former CM's associate and party MP, Sanjay Raut's arrest, by the ED. Raut's own associates are also facing the ED and city police in alleged scams.

Ruckus in Vidhan Bhavan

A day after MLAs from the Shinde Sena and the Opposition came to blows over protests being staged on the steps on the Vidhan Bhavan, the ruling Sena members and those from the rival camp, came face to face yet again on Thursday, the last day of the session, but no untoward incident was reported.

The Shinde group mocked Aaditya Thackeray by displaying a banner of him which said he was moving in the wrong direction. The junior Thackeray led his pack, shouting slogans, albeit a bit modified but with a purpose of chiding the Shinde camp further, by telling the slogan they had raised earlier had hit where it hurt most.

In the House, Aaditya's statement on tribal malnutrition and the reply the minister concerned had given, was objected to over the use of unparliamentary words. After a verbal skirmish between the two sides, the Speaker assured to verify the content and delete it if found misplaced.

While replying to a larger debate, CM Shinde asked the opposition to follow restraint and assured the same from his side. He referred to Uddhav Thakeray's statement that the state had a contractual CM and said it was better to be that one instead of one who was in an unholy alliance. "I am contracted to work for the development and the poor, and to take Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva. Please don't be corrupt in your thoughts, stick to limits," he cautioned, reiterating that his group too was vulnerable to human tendency of retaliating when things go beyond tolerance.