Plots meant for school and ground misused, claim Cuffe Parade residents

The Cuffe Parade Residentsrsquo Association CPRA has recently approached the collectorrsquos office alleging that two prominent plots at tony Cuffe Parade which were meant for a BMC school and playground have been allegedly rented out to civil contractors at minimal rates for several yearsDr Laura DrsquoSouza president of the CPRA told midday ldquoPlot no 119A and 119B belong to state government and these were earmarked for BMC school and a playground respectively But civic officials have set up multiple containers serving as makeshift offices on plot number 119A without our knowledgeThese containers have been rented out to BMC contractorsrdquo said Dr DrsquoSouza ldquoSecondly multiple tin shed cabins have been made illegally on 119B where the labourers reside and work all night till the predawn hoursrdquo she highlightedResidentsrsquo woesldquoI received a complaint from residents of Jolly Maker 3 as they were being disturbed by banging sounds throughout the night and early morning hours especially affecting senior citizensrdquo said Dr DrsquoSouza ldquoUpon investigation I found that part of the plots between GD Somani Memorial School and Jolly Maker 3 119 A and 119B have been allocated by the BMC to contractors who have made makeshift offices in containersBesides that there are metal cabins where labourers reside and run workshops So many people residing in a culdesac which no one knew existed is clearly a security issuerdquo she said ldquoHow can the BMC rent out this space What is even more questionable is that they pay R28000 for six months per makeshift office in a prime localityrdquo she allegedldquoThis is a rising problem in Cuffe Parade as the authorities are ignoring rampant encroachment unchecked hawking and illegal parking Hawkers who have godfathers have become more and more brazen taking up entire pavements in some areasrdquo she addedldquoThis issue is part of a larger problem in Cuffe Parade and Captain Prakash Pethe Marg where residents have been complaining but no one pays heed The Bombay High Court has even questioned the civic authoritiesrsquo effectiveness in managing these issues Complete failure of the system leaving us taxpayers disillusionedrdquo said the CPRA presidentSulakshana Chowgule the vicepresident of CPRA said ldquoI donrsquot know what they are doing but the whole day and night they just bang metal The BMC school for which the plot was developed is yet to come up Gradually the BMC guys started bringing in materials which were stored on the plots and later small shanties were maderdquoNoise pollutionldquoThe people staying in the shanties keep on banging metal the whole day and night Itrsquos terrible because of the noise pollution We have complained so many times to police also but the cops also do not comerdquo said Chowgule She added ldquoSo many containers are kept on the plot I donrsquot know what they are up tordquoMeanwhile CPRA member Bharati Bathijaa said ldquoWrongdoings are happening in Cuffe Parade just because the BMCrsquos pockets are never fullrdquo Another member Parul P Nandekar said ldquoMore than 50 people are residing in makeshift accommodations comprising over a dozen tin shanties and more than 14 containers on plot no 119A and 119B Notably the tin sheds housing these individuals are situated at the extreme end of the plot near the stormwater drainrdquoAllegedly encroached spot between GD Somani Memorial School and Jolly Maker 3 housing society on Dec 27 PicsSayyed Sameer AbedildquoThere is a pressing concern regarding the plots where over 50 labourers mostly Bangladeshi nationals are cooking and residing illegally This has resulted in continuous loud noise disrupting the peaceful environment of the residential area Furthermore allegations of illicit activities have surfaced including drug consumption dumping of scrap and unauthorised materials and the selling of the same on the plotrdquo said NandekarldquoIt is suspected that the BMCrsquos A ward officials are complicit accepting large bribes to turn a blind eye The situation is exacerbated by the improper toilet connection which drains into the open stormwater system polluting the sea and causing foul odours and disease This has become a significant problem for residents We have made complaints urging the authorities to address this issue promptlyrdquo she saidA supervisor at one of the containers said ldquoWe are in the road construction business and around two months ago we were permitted by the A ward to stay here on rent I donrsquot know how much rent is being paid but we have got the BMCrsquos permission to stay here on rentrdquoOfficials SpeakJaydeep More the executive engineer who is the incharge of A ward said ldquoBMC contractors have been allotted containers on a rental basis to run their site offices This plot is not earmarked for a school it is a BMC plot where containers are keptrdquo ldquoNo permanent construction has been made on the plot only containers have been kept and given on rent to BMC contractors The rental agreement is renewed every six months by the BMCrdquo said MoreBharati Bathijaa CPRA member right Sulakshana Chowgule CPRA vicepresidentA senior official at the collectors office said ldquoI need to check if anyone has encroached upon the plot earmarked for a school We have been receiving complaints from the CPRA and are taking action against illegal encroachments If there is any encroachment we will pass a strict order to demolish it at the earliest possible timerdquoMeanwhile a police officer said ldquoThe safety and security of citizens of this city are our prime concern We will surely look into the issues raised before us Above all if there is encroachment the authorities concerned should remove it We will provide security to keep the area in a liveable conditionrdquoHC orderA Bombay High Court order in January 2011 reads ldquoThe civic body was allotted a plot whose city survey number is 646 admeasuring 573677 sq m in Colaba division on March 12 1980 which was shown as two separate plots 119A and 119B The former was reserved for BMC school and the latter for a playground The final development plan was sanctioned by the state government in June 2000 and the positions of these two plots were retainedrdquoSources have told midday that the alleged encroachers had challenged the Bombay High Court order in the Supreme Court but the ldquoapex court did not give them interim reliefrdquo ldquoThe Bombay HC order clearly mentions that the municipal corporation shall use the plot for a municipal school and playground only and for no other purposes whatsoever How then have BMC officials allowed so many containers on the plots which are given on a rental basis It clearly shows contempt of courtrdquo said the source