A Shiv Sena minister in the Maharashtra government is facing accusations of misuse of power for an alleged unauthorised construction. More embarrassingly for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the allegations pertain to a green land in Mumbai’s Aarey Milk Colony, where the party has been leveraging a ‘Save Aarey’ campaign with a view to score political points against ally BJP. Maharashtra’s Minister of State (Housing) Ravindra Waikar on Wednesday came under fire after the Congress party released official papers indicating that the minister used public funds for illegal construction activity in Aarey Colony. [related-post] Watch Video: What's making news Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, who has raised allegations of conflict-of-interest and immorality against Waikar over the controversy, has claimed that Waikar had in fact set his eyes on illegally cornering an 80,000-square metre plot in Aarey Colony with the move. The Indian Express made several attempts to contact Waikar for a response, but his staff said that he was abroad with his family on vacation and that he was unavailable for comment. The Shiv Sena, too, did not clarify its position on the allegations. According to official records, Waikar, as an Opposition legislator representing the Jogeshwari (East) Assembly constituency, had sought permission from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), a state undertaking, for utilising ‘special funds’ allotted for development works that MLAs recommend, to construct a public gymnasium for people residing in tribal hamlets and slum colonies in Aarey Colony. Records further reveal that while the administrative approval for the work was accorded on August 21, 2014, when the previous Congress-NCP regime was still in power, the actual work for construction of the gymnasium began on January 13, 2015, by which time Waikar was already a minister. The permission was for construction of a ground-level gymnasium over a 3700 sq m land. Although the work was certified as completed in July 2015, records reveal that the Chief Executive Officer of the Aarey Milk Colony on March 18, 2015, shot off a letter to the Executive Engineer of the Mumbai Slum Improvement Board under Mhada stating that an illegal floor had been constructed in the garb of development activity and that the surrounding area had been illegally fenced from all sides. “The discrepancy is of a very serious nature, especially considering that you are a state-run undertaking,” the CEO’s letter stated. The Indian Express has obtained a copy of this communication. The letter records that while Waikar had originally sought permission to construct a ground-plus-one gymnasium with state-of-the art facilities such as sauna and steam bath, the state government had categorically denied permission to the upper floor through a communication dated October 1, 2014. The Aarey CEO has further said that following the state government’s communication, it had written to both Mhada and Waikar specifying that “no additional construction activity” should be undertaken other than the one the state has permitted. But this appeared to have been ignored. But even as the Aarey CEO’s letter required Mhada to pull down the “additional construction” and “remove the illegal fencing” immediately, this appeared to have been overlooked. Alleging impropriety by the minister, Nirupam said that “the minister had pressured the authorities against taking any action.” Mhada functions directly under the housing department, of which Waikar is minister of state. Nirupam launched another scathing allegation claiming that an ‘unregistered’ public trust - the Shivsamarth Shikshan Prasarak Sanstha - allegedly led by Waikar’s wife Manisha had taken over the facility’s maintenance after the construction work was completed on July 12, 2015. When The Indian Express visited the facility, a board erected outside the gymnasium facility confirmed that this trust was presently running the facility. The Indian Express is in possession of the original administrative approval granted to the work, which makes it clear that only a registered public trust could have been entrusted the task of running the facility. On Wednesday, Nirupam released a communication dated June 17, 2016, from the Mumbai Public Trusts Registration office, which clearly states that Shiv Samarth Shikshan Prasarak Sanstha was not registered with them. “This is a plot grab. The Shiv Sena says that it won’t tolerate construction in Aarey, but its own minister has illegally cornered a plot. This scam exposes Shiv Sena’s dual speak,” Nirupam said. The Shiv Sena has been opposing the construction of a Metro car shed on Aarey land. “We demand that the CM must step in. The illegal construction should be demolished. Also, Waikar must be removed from the government for misusing his office and grabbing public land,” Nirupam said. Mumbai Slum Improvement Board’s Chief Officer Anant Dahiphale said, “I’m not aware of the issue. I assumed this position in January, 2016. I haven’t heard anything in this regard since.”
