Maharashtra: Land mafia eats into 30 per cent of plot identified for new Tulinj police station

The Tulinj police station, an illegal building built on a nullah. Pics/Hanif Patel

The plan to relocate the Nalasopara-based Tulinj police station, where the cops have to deal with a stinking nullah that flows beneath them, has hit two roadblocks. On the one hand, the land mafia has encroached upon nearly 30 per cent the Sai Bazaar plot, a part of which the civic body had picked to hand over to the home department to construct a new police station. On the other, the state cabinet is unwilling to alter the status of the entire plot, which has been reserved for a playground, saying ‘how India will expect medals in international sporting events if the land reservation is altered to run a police station?'

The total area of the Sai Bazaar plot is 20 acres, out of which the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) had identified a nearly 32-guntha piece of land for the construction of a building to house the Tulinj police station.

Every monsoon, the station is flooded with rain and sewage

Police station woes

The building of the Tulinj police station, one of the busiest in the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, is illegal as it was constructed on a garden plot and nullah in Nalasopara East. This police station has no specified area for officials and visitors to park their vehicles. So, officials' vehicles as well as private ones are parked in the middle of the road, which chokes traffic and inconveniences one and all.

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Above all, the nullah underneath the building raises a stink and during the monsoon season, the police station gets flooded and cops have to wade through four-feet-high rainwater. Every year, important case files, computers, electronic items and furniture get damaged.

Rights body steps in

Considering the sensitivity of the issue, mid-day published a frontpage article on April 3 and the State Human Rights Commission took cognisance of the matter and the additional chief secretary (home) was asked to submit a fact-finding enquiry report on the issue.

(From left) 20-acre Sai Bazaar plot in Nalasopara, which is reserved for a playground; 32-guntha plot piece of land identified for the new police station; Police station lacks a parking area, which contributes to traffic snarls

The following month, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Pournima Chougule-Shringi submitted an affidavit to the SHRC highlighting the urgent requirement to relocate Tulinj police station.

In the affidavit, the DCP wrote, "On several occasions, the municipal commissioner, VVCMC, has been approached by police officials and requested to allot suitable land for the Tulinj police station. It is informed by the VVCMC that a proposal for Tulinj police station land is pending in Mantralaya for the cabinet's approval for the sanction for altering the reservation of the playground."

The correspondent has learnt that, of late, the ACS (Home) Sujata Saunik called for a meeting at Mantralaya where MBVV Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey, VVCMC Commissioner Anilkumar Pawar and other officials were present.

‘Govt hesitant to alter land reservation'

Sources in the police department told mid-day that the state government is hesitant to alter the land reservation to further use the plot to run a police station.
"We are law enforcers, but Tulinj police station is being run in an unauthorised building. What message are we conveying? After our relentless efforts, VVCMC identified a 20-acre land parcel in the Sai Bazaar area of Nalasopara East for the police station. But the land mafia constructed unauthorised residential buildings where people are staying on it. This is only possible as the municipal corporation is doing nothing against illegal constructions," said a senior police officer in MBVV.

Another officer said, "This 20-acre plot is reserved for a playground. A building to run a police station can be constructed only if the land reservation is altered, which is only possible if the cabinet approves the move. But the cabinet has rejected our requests and told us that ‘if the land reservation for the playground is altered how can we expect medals in international sporting events?' When we highlighted the fact that the land for the playground has already been encroached upon by the land mafia, senior officials at Mantralaya became tight-lipped. This is so strange!"

The officer added, "In September, a meeting was held with the ACS (home) in Mantralaya, and VVCMC chief Pawar was informed that the Sai Bazaar plot for the playground has already been encroached upon by the land mafia. In the meeting, Pawar was asked to submit a police complaint to register an FIR under the MRTP [Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning] Act against the builders who constructed the unauthorised buildings. But, so far, Tulinj police station has not received any complaint from VVCMC to act against the bogus builders. The message is clear that the civic officials are hand-in-glove with bogus developers and the VVCMC agreed to give the Sai Bazaar plot to shift the Tulinj police station as they knew that it had already been encroached upon."

Another encroached plot

Meanwhile, after much hue and cry in the September meeting, the VVCMC agreed to hand over a 20-guntha plot located in Moregaon talao the land mafia had constructed unauthorised buildings on that piece of land too.

"A police station needs to be located at the centre of the area under its officers' jurisdiction to ensure better policing. The Moregaon talao option is not feasible for visitors as it is very close to Virar and our officers will have to travel while going about their work in their jurisdiction. Above all, why should we take extra effort to remove the encroachment, which is the duty of the municipal corporation? So, we are not considering this option," said the officer.

An officer who was previously attached to Tulinj police station said, "It is really disgusting to go to Tulinj police station which is constructed on a nullah. I faced various health issues as it stinks a lot. Above all, many police officers would face health issues in the monsoon when water would flood the premises and you had to wade through it. Later on, when the flood water recedes, it smells like hell. One can't eat anything when it stinks. I am wondering why the government is not serious about health issues of the police force."

DCP Pournima Chougule-Shringi said, "Nearly 25-30 per cent of the 20-acre Sai Bazaar plot, has been encroached upon by the land mafia, but if the VVCMC officials approach us to help them remove the encroachment."

20acres
Total area of Sai Bazaar plot