Lokmat Impact: Authorities Crack Down on Encroachments Near Mankhurd Children's Home

Mumbai: Women and Child Development Officers and police inspected the encroachments after Lokmat raised the issue against unauthorized construction on government land adjacent to Mankhurd Children's Home. Taking cognizance of the complaint filed by the children's home employee, a case has been registered against eight to 10 people, including land mafia Kishore Ramji Tank, with Govandi police on Saturday night. 

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For the future of children in children's homes, the government-controlled Children's Aid Society has about 55 acres of land in the Mankhurd division and Mumbai suburban collector's jurisdiction. Since the 1990s, the encroachment has occupied more than 17 to 23 acres of government land. Children's home officials were facing various problems as the administration was not taking cognizance. 

Lokmat Impact
Women and child development officers, deputy commissioners of police, and concerned agencies approached Mankhurd children's homes. The police have registered a case on the complaint of Ravindra Pawar, the property manager in charge of The Children's Aid Society. 
According to Pawar's complaint, a wire fence was erected around the Mankhurd Children's Home in 1988 for protection. During the usual visit in March, Kishore Tank and eight to 10 of his men were found to have broken and constructed a wire fence in front of the girls' residential building in the government special girls' rehabilitation home, the Navjivan government women's rehabilitation home and telecom factory, and Child Welfare Nagari adjacent to Deonar. 

The pipelines of toilets built were released in residential areas, raising questions about the health and safety of the girls. They also damaged the workshop by breaking the wire fence next to the residential building and damaging the workshop as well as the doors and windows. Staff complained about the illegal construction of raw concrete. Children's home staff say the police need to take immediate security precautions and take action after the case is registered.

"The women and child development officer and the police inspected the premises at Mankhurd Children's Home. A case has been registered against an unidentified land mafia on the complaint of children's home officials. Further investigation will be conducted, and appropriate action will be taken." Sudarshan Honwadjkar, Senior Police Inspector, Govandi Police Station