Mid-Day impact: Party over for illegal hub in Kandivli

The state has passed a Government Resolution GR to reclaim 116 acres and 20 gunthas of land in the Kandivli Industrial Estate which was allotted only for industrial purposes at Charkop The government also directed the suburban collector to take possession of the land within a week with all control reverting to the government midday has been reporting since 2021 on how this industrial land was illegally used for restaurants pubs bars turfs and wedding receptions The state government also ordered the city survey officer to remove the name of the Kandivli Cooperative Industrial Estate Ltd from the property card and reclaim the land from themmidday reported on the violations of the Kandivli Industrial Estate land after activist Reji Abraham complained to the Lokayukta Collector Revenue Department and the BMC urging necessary action The BMC issued more than 100 notices against violations on government industrial land and registered FIRs at the Charkop police station against some installations This decision was made on October 4 in the cabinet meetingThe GR states that the Revenue Department allocated 116 acres and 20 gunthas of land for industrial development in 1961 reserving 15 plots for commercial use and 150 for industrial purposes In 1982 the state government transferred management of the land to occupants under the Collectorrsquos supervision In 2002 the MIDC took over but struggled with daily management subsequently transferring control to the Kandivli Cooperative Industrial Estate Limited for management purposesActivist Reji Abraham said ldquoWe complained to the state government regarding violations of activities on the industrial land The BMC also registered an FIR against violators and a few notices were issued to them We demanded that this land be used solely for industrial purposes so that people can get jobs and our Maharashtra economy can growrdquoThe GR states that the Kandivli Cooperative Industrial Estate Ltd cannot handle encroachment complaints and highlights demands for ownership transfer redevelopment TDR issuance and conversion of the land from Class 2 to Class 1 ownership It specifies that any land transfer requires prior approval from the Revenue Department Industrial plots are leased for industrial use and any changes must comply with the departmentrsquos regulations The District Collector Mumbai Suburban is responsible for collecting duesAdditionally the Kandivli Cooperative Industrial Estate Society must return the 116 acres and 20 gunthas of government land to the District Collector within seven days otherwise the Collector must repossess the land The City Survey Officer Borivli is to remove the societyrsquos name as Class 2 occupant immediately This order was issued by Deputy Secretary Dhananjay Nikam from the Government of MaharashtraProperties built on the industrial land in Kandivli File picsAbraham said ldquoAfter a long drawnout fight spanning more than three years to expose largescale revenue loot and fraud better sense seems to have finally prevailedrdquo He highlighted that violations arose from ldquovested interests connected to various units in the area which were given public land at dirtcheap lease ratesrdquoThe Maharashtra government through a gazette dated October 8 issued nine directives to reclaim the misused land meant solely for industrial purposesldquoHad these units operated the 1165 acres as sanctioned it would have generated direct and indirect employment opportunities for lakhs of individualsrdquo he noted Instead many unit holders ldquoillegally leased subleased and mortgaged their units looting banksrdquo for nonindustrial purposesAbraham added ldquoDespite our followups BMC officials colluded with unit holders we have finally achieved justice in the larger public interestrdquoHe expressed hope that under Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar and BMC officials ldquostrong action will be taken against all violatorsrdquo to recover the looted revenue and ensure the industrial hub generates muchneeded employment opportunities Mumbai Suburban Collector Rajendra Kshirsagar said ldquoThis industrial land was intended for the wealth of the nation to promote industrial development and create jobs thereby increasing employment We will take control of the land and regularise itrdquoThe other sideThe October 8 GR states that control of the Kandivli Coop Industrial Estate is shifting from the cooperative to the District Officer Mumbai Suburbs raising concerns about the governmentrsquos intentions and the estatersquos future The Kandivli Industrial Cooperative Society has managed 116 acres of industrial land for over two decades originally allocated in the 1960s to retain industrial units postMaharashtraGujarat division This initiative paved the way for the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation MIDCInitially industrial plots were leased with the condition of selfdevelopment After 30 years the land was converted to Class II occupancy rights following full payment at market ratesThe cooperative has managed the estate transparently investing significantly in security and infrastructure and creating a conducive business environmentTheir efforts have generated employment for thousands and supported over 350 smallscale industrial unitsTransfer charges processThe society paid all required government dues including transfer charges and premiums as directed by the Industries Department Transfers were completed only after receiving the necessary NOC Despite this a new GR bypasses the cooperative jeopardising the future of hundreds of small businesses dependent on the estateRegarding encroachmentsThe estate was handed over with a list of existing encroachers The society spends R50 lakh annually on security and R2530 lakh on legal cases against encroachers Despite repeated fencing attempts being undone industrial growth continues steadily thanks to transparent memberfriendly policiesRegarding the property cardThe KCIEL name was added to the property card based on a letter from the Collector to the City Survey Office not by the societyrsquos actionsRegarding TDRThe society has no TDR and none has been sold The estate meant for industrial development stayed under the Industries Department per the GR The Kandivli Industrial Cooperative Society opposes the governmentrsquos GR threatening the survival of 350 industrial units and will seek legal action