Gobbling up of govt land: Mumbai suburban collector cracks the whip

The collector Mumbai Suburban district has finally taken cognisance of middayrsquos reportage about illegal development on a 116acre plot at Charkop Kandivli West that was marked for a manufacturing hub Several bars pubs restaurants wedding halls car service centres and sports turfs have sprung up on the landThe collector Nidhi Chaudhari wrote a letter to the state government and civic body asking them to deny permission for change of use and not allow any kind of development without the formerrsquos gohead The collector also ordered the owners of the establishments to submit changeofuse permission lettersmidday on September 23 and November 17 reported about how the land which measures 116 acres and 20 gunthas precisely was being misusedIllegal restaurants wedding and banquet halls and lounges have sprung up on the 116acre plot File picThe plot was set aside for running industries on May 3 1961 and the state government handed it over to MIDC laterThis newspaper also learnt that the building and factory department of R South ward had overlooked violations by individual units in running bars and restaurants and also securing liquor licences from the excise departmentAlso Read Brave dogs rescue two others from fireActivist Reji Abraham president United Association for Social Educational and Public Welfare Trust has sent several letters to the Enforcement Directorate revenue department and other authoritiesNidhi Chaudhari collector Mumbai Suburban districtChaudhari told midday ldquoWe wrote a letter to the state government and BMC building proposals department to stop violations as we found that many people are misusing this land This land was built up only for the purpose of running industries and not for any other uses If anyone wanted to change its uses they must take a NOC from the state government The latter never sold this land to anyone It was given to the MIDC for administration purposesrdquoShe added ldquoWe asked the state government not to give permission for change of use redevelopment and reconstruction on this land without its permission Those who get permission for change of use should submit their documents at the collectorrsquos office We will verify all the details Many violations happened on this land and unauthorised structures have come up against which action will be taken very soonrdquoldquoWe have also sought clarity from the state government whether it requires regulatory authority to oversee this industrial land as currently no one is regulating it MIDC handed over the administration of the plot to the Kandivli Cooperative Industrial Estate Organisation in 2004Reji redflagged the violations on December 14 2022 and complained to the collector but no action was taken To sell this land a NOC is required from the collector for change of activities and uses Chaudhari said ldquoIn the disposal of the land along with factory plants structures and other installations by way of sale the state government shall be entitled to half the unearned income and where such land is sold without any construction aforesaid the state government shall be entitled to unearned income not exceeding 90 per cent as the state government may deciderdquo Reji told midday ldquoThere has been a loot bonanza for scamsters capitalising on the governmentrsquos largesse to the manufacturing sector by way of nominal lease rent Rs 6366 per square metrerdquoHe added ldquoOffenders have been earning from illegal subleases and sale proceeds even holding back payment of the mandated NA tax and leasedictated revenue share 50 to 90 per cent of the ready reckoner rate They are running illegal bars restaurants wedding and banquet halls lounges car service centres astro turfs clothes boutiques water bottle companies and a milk product distribution unit to gain from public investments in illegal commercial buildings projectsrdquoReji alleged that the structures lacked a NOC from the collector and were ldquoblatantly overlooked by the building proposals department and BMC R South ward under Bhagyashree Kapse DMC Zone 7 due to complicit enforcement authorities with political patronagerdquoHe added that the public at large was ldquoblissfully unaware of this huge scam that runs into croresrdquo1961Year land was set aside for industrial purposes