Govt shuts private consultants out of panel to clear highrises

“This time the government has steered clear of appointing any private structural engineer in the panel to avoid possible conflict-of-interests cases in future,” said a government official. An addition to the panel is the scientist in-charge at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

The panel’s functioning was under the scanner since May when the Anti-Corruption Bureau caught men accepting an initial installment of Rs 15 lakh allegedly on behalf of committee member Shailesh Mahimtura,a structural engineer. Mahimtura was arrested on charges of demanding Rs 1 crore from a Matunga-based developer in return for a no-objection certificate to his projects. Mahimtura had allegedly misused his position to bag new projects or approve projects handled by his private firm.

“When this was brought to the government’s notice,in March 2009 the UD department issued orders preventing Mahimtura from sitting for the panel’s proceedings each time projects involving his firm came up for approval,but nothing much changed,” said the official. The government had immediately appointed another structural consultant,Shantilal Jain,as a substitute member on days when projects involving Mahimtura came up.

The seven-member highrise committee was formed in July 2004 to conduct feasibility studies on the structural stability of proposed highrises and their impact on infrastructure. Over the last six years,the committee has given NOCs to nearly 200 highrises,never rejecting a proposal.

Mahimtura started his stint during its second term beginning July 2007. Following reports on the panel’s malfunctioning,the government was initially toying with the idea of entirely scrapping the panel. Several construction projects were held up over the last few months due to the absence of a committee.