Mr Phatak, clear illegal shops or we will bring a morcha to your office

Fed up with inaction over unauthorised encroachments, residents of Kalina Village start a signature campaign and write fiery letters to municipal commissioner and mayor

Mr Phatak, clear illegal shops or we will bring a morcha to your office

Fed up with inaction over unauthorised encroachments, residents of Kalina Village start a signature campaign and write fiery letters to municipal commissioner and mayor

Residents of Kalina Village started a signature campaign on February 16 against several illegal establishments in

the area. They have sent approximately 50 signatures accompanied by a letter listing unauthorised eateries, motorcycle repair shops and cycle shops encroaching on drains and the road to U D Mistri, assistant municipal commissioner of H/East Ward.

Jairaj Phatak and Mayor Shubha Raul." Residents feel pushed to the wall with no action from the authorities. In their letter to Phatak, they say,u00a0 'Please have the place cleared or we will: Bring a morcha to your office, have a raasta roko and Kalina bandh.'

Hand in glove

The letter to Mistri states, "Although you had demolished some encroachments, we found that they were back the next day, as some of your officials are hand in glove with the encroachers and are taking bribes." Despite repeated attempts, Mistri remained unavailable for comment.

Municipal Councillor Alice Therattil's husband J Therattil answered on his wife's behalf, "Yes, there are a number of illegal encroachments in the village." Yet, Therattil lobbed the ball into U D Mistri's court, saying, "We had taken up this matter with Mistri, but he has not acted so far."

Unsafe for women

Dr Saloni Jacinto said that the Kalina Village entrance resembled a, "slum" with "job hunters lurking around unauthorised structures." She added that the area is becoming unsafe for women.

Massie Fernandes endorsed Jacinto's views. "The stalls, garages, and paan shops are a nuisance. Women cannot walk through this place. Twice, I have gotten into a fistfight with some locals, who refused to move and let my bike pass through."

Hema Shirke, who has been living in the village for 14 years, said the encroachments have been increasing over the years.

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