Mumbai: In a bid to tackle the growing issue of unauthorised constructions in the city, Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has issued firm instructions to expedite the removal of encroachments. The drive will be carried out with full coordination between all relevant agencies to ensure swift and effective demolition operations.
Dr. Joshi directed the municipal officers to implement a time-bound program aimed at removing unauthorized constructions before the end of March 2025. The focus will be on executing an aggressive drive against these structures in the months of January, February, and March. In addition to the demolition, Dr. Joshi stressed the need for issuing penalty notices and enforcing property tax fines as per the provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, Section 152(A), which mandates a 200% penalty on unauthorised constructions.
To ensure the success of the campaign, Dr. Joshi instructed that necessary resources be allocated promptly and that manpower from the police department be made available to assist in the removal process. The drive will also focus on expediting property tax collection, with instructions to ensure faster processing before the end of the financial year on March 31, 2025.
The review meeting, held at the BMC headquarters, was attended by key officials, including Assistant Commissioner (Encroachment Removal) Vinayak Vispute and Assistant Commissioner (Encroachment Removal) Mridula Ande. During the meeting, Vispute outlined plans to run the campaign seamlessly between January and March, ensuring no unauthorized constructions are allowed to come up within the city limits.
Dr. Joshi also stressed the need for legal professionals to represent BMC’s interests more effectively in court cases related to unauthorized constructions.