BEST spot for illegal garages in S’cruz

The BEST says it is helpless. A spokesperson said the undertaking had asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to demolish the garages. But civic officials have been lukewarm in their response. The only action the ward office (H-West) has taken so far is to carry out partial demolition twice.

But the encroachments came up as soon as the civic squad left the place.Admitting that he had received complaints about the encroachments, Ward officer S U Bhujale said more shanties were constructed just before the elections when the model code of conduct was in force. In January, 1998 the encroachershad filed a petition in the Bombay High Court when the ward office served them notice to vacate the place.

The court ruled in favour of the BMC directing it demolish the illegal structures. However, some of the encroachments have come up only last month and the ward office has failed to take action. Senior officials in the ward office passed the buck saying that it was the duty of the undertaking to ensure that there was no encroachment on their land. “We have handed over the plot to them. Now they should take care of their property,” said the ward officials.

However, a BEST spokesperson said that the undertaking does not have the infrastructure to carry out demolitions. According to the BEST officials, the encroachments on their plot are actually spillovers from the adjoining BMC land.

In 1984, the BMC had reserved 2,200 of the 4,000 sq metres plot for the bus depot. While the BEST started the depot soon after, the BMC plot remained vacant. Gradually encroachments increased on the BMC plot andthere was hardly an inch of land left.