BMC issues eviction notice for Wadala college hostel

“Considering the ruinous condition of the ‘Sidharth Vihar’ hostel building which is beyond repairs and is likely to fall down at any time and will cause damage to the life and property to any person occupying or passing by,” the notice said.

The trustees have been instructed to vacate the building within seven days, failing which legal action will be initiated as per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888, to demolish the structure.

According to P R Mhatre, executive engineer of F/north ward, the private building is dilapidated and repairs have not been carried out for several years. “There are cracks on the columns and beams, the reinforcements are exposed and no plastering work has been done. Anyone can see how dilapidated the structure is, which is why we have issued the notice,” he said.

According to the notice dated April 23, the trustees were in June 2011 already directed to pull down the hostel building, through a notice. Due to non-compliance, the civic body had also launched prosecution against the trustees in the Metropolitan Magistrate, 41st Court, Shindewadi, Dadar, and the matter is now sub-judice.

One of the hostel inmates, who has been living there for almost three years, said, “We pay nothing to the hostel administration as it is meant for backward class meritorious students and hence accommodation here is free.”

However according to the hostel administration, the aid that they received from the state government was discontinued in 1994. M S Moray, one of the trutees of PES said, “ We cannot comment on this now as the matter is sub-judice. We will resolve the issue at the earliest.”

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