The Bombay High Court, on Monday, asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Thane village parishad and Dawadi village gram panchayat to coordinate an action plan and ensure that illegal structures in Thane’s villages are demolished. Justices A S Oka and Justice A K Menon was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a local resident of Dawadi village. Vasudev Bhoir stated that several illegal structures had come up in the village especially between 1999 and 2005. The PIL urged for the demolition of these illegal buildings. He also stated that authorities keep shifting onus and responsibility to take down these illegal structures and therefore heprays for the general directions of the court. “No action has been taken by any authorities with regard to the illegal structures in this area. The MMRDA, village gram panchayat and zilla should meet and work out an appropriate action plan in this matter against illegal structures in Dawadi in four weeks.,'' said the Judges. Advocate Kiran Bagalia representing MMRDA stated that MMRDA has been appointed by the state only for special planning after 2005 and that they don’t have power of demolition under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP), 1966. Bagalia further added, MMRDA will step in to demolish once they are given sufficient machinery and police protection to do so. The court has asked that the petition be amended so that the zilla parishad can be made a respondent to the PIL. The court observed that prima facie the village gram panchayat and MMRDA have powers to take action against illegal structures.
