New Delhi: A day after the illegally built Supertech twin towers in Noida were demolished, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Monday (August 29, 2022) requested Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to undertake a special audit of illegal high-rise buildings in Mumbai to protect the interests of flat owners. 


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

In a letter to Shinde, Somaiya said, "The corrupt practices in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have resulted in the erection of high-rise residential towers in Mumbai. On the backdrop of the Supreme Court's decision to demolish the twin towers in Noida, a special audit of such illegal towers in Mumbai should be undertaken."


He also alleged that the builders' lobby has been constructing such illegal structures by being hand in glove with the BMC staff and officials.


"Such buildings are either without the Occupancy Certificate from the civic body or have obtained partial OC. Such practices have elevated the concerns of people who have purchased flats in these buildings," the former BJP MP wrote.



An OC is a document issued by the civic body to certify that a building is constructed as per the approved plan and adhering to laws.


Earlier on Sunday, nine years after a residents association went to court over the illegally built Supertech twin towers, a series of controlled explosions reduced the 100-meter tall structures to a huge pile of rubble. Apex (32 storeys) and Ceyane (29 storeys) were gone in 12 seconds in the carefully executed demolition, the biggest such exercise in India to date.



The Supreme Court ordered the demolition a year back, saying there had been "collusion" between the builders and Noida Authority officials who let Supertech Ltd construct in the area where no buildings were to come up according to the original plans.


(With agency inputs)