Fadnavis wants collector to go-slow after ex-MP Vijay Darda gets notice to vacate illegally occupied flats

Mumbai: Former Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra Vijay Darda is in a spot after Mumbai city collector Ashwini Joshi issued a notice to the ex-parliamentarian asking him to vacate three illegally occupied flats in the upscale Shubhada Society located at Sir Pochkhnwala lane, Worli. [caption id=“attachment_2921498” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former Congress MP Vijay Darda. Image from Darda’s Facebook page[/caption] The notice, which was sent on 12 July, also sought responses from the society’s president and secretary within eight days, on how flat nos.- 501 and 602 are in possession of Darda, while official records show them as vacant. Many MPs and MLAs have their flats in these upmarket residential societies of Sukhda and Shubhada in central Mumbai. The Shubhda Society is on Collector land, in which all the 105 members, are either MLAs or MPs. Among the 105 flats, two are vacant as they were not given no objection certificate by the collector’s office. When a survey was conducted by the collector’s office on 30 June, it was discovered that Darda, who owns flat number 601 legally, has also been occupying flats no. 501, 502 and 602 unlawfully. The ex-MP was present during the inspection and had reportedly given his statement to the inspecting team.

When Firstpost investigated the case, it was found that flat-501 was allotted to then Congress MLA Penta Rama Talandi from Sironcha in Chnadrapur district. He was a MLA from 1980 to 1985. Flat no.-602 belongs to then Congress MLA Lakhuji Marotrao Masram, who represented Kelapur constituency in 1978. Surprisingly, these two flats are shown as vacant as per records available with the collector’s office. A report was also send to the state government stating these two flats, which are reserved for ST category, are available for allotment. Former MLA Lahuji Masaram had passed away on 18 November 2004. Another flat, which Darda has illegally held possession of, was originally allotted to Bhujangrao Bagde. Bagde was Congress MLA from Chimur constituency, Chandrapur in 1985 to 1990 who got the flat no.-502. The record at the collector’s office also confirms the same. A senior official from the revenue department said that there were instances of violations in both Sukhada and Shubhada as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had send notices earlier as well to lawmakers over illegal construction. The central Mumbai area was chosen to build housing societies for MLAs and MPs at 10 percent cheaper rate than the prevalent market price. However, some MLAs sold their flats for crores of rupees. The market rate of this area is more than Rs 50,000 per square feet and the rate of a flat is around Rs 10-15 crore. In some cases, the original owners in a brazen breach of norms even directly sold flats to avoid government fees and penalties. The official said that as the societies are built on government land, the ownership also lies actually with the government. Thus, any reselling of flats without intimating the collector’s office is a violation of standard practices, he said. Darda also connected all the four flats internally by building illegal staircases as two flats each are on the fifth and sixth floor respectively on top of another. Moreover, the former parliamentarian is using the flats for commercial which is another violation of the prescribed procedure. Although the collector’s notice clearly warned of stern action if no reply was given within eight days, Darda is still roaming free as there are indications that the Chief Minister’s Office has reportedly given a go-slow diktat. The former MP has not responded either to text messages or phone calls till the time the story was published. Speaking to Firstpost, RTI activist Anil Galgali said that law should be uniform to everyone and the powerful should not be spared at a time when a poor man’s hut can be easily bulldozed citing encroachment. “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should back such brave officer like Joshi instead of protecting the former MP who has clearly flouted laws,” Galgali said.