BMC ready to give NOC for workstation

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Thursday in the Bombay high court that it is ready to give an unconditional NOC to a lifeguard association to set up workstation at Juhu beach. The BMC also accepted that it had illegally demolished the association’s original workstation on the oral complaints of a local MLA and the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

On Thursday, the BMC had initially given conditional NOC to the lifeguard association, which the court refused to accept. When the court warned that if conditions are not withdrawn then necessary action would have been taken against errant officers, the BMC said it is ready to give an unconditional NOC.

The division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice A.A. Sayed was hearing a petition filed by the Juhu Beach Life Guard Association, stating that their workstation was demolished by the BMC without giving a showcause notice.

The association has demanded action against the officers concerned who were involved in the demolition action and also asked for reimbursement of '66 lakh to buy equipment that had been destroyed during the demolition. During the hearing, the court rapped the BMC for illegally demolishing the structure.

‘’The corporation has not followed the due process of law to demolish the structure; it has shown high-handedness and is a wrongdoer. The corporation has taken law in its own hand’’ said the court.

The HC directed the BMC commissioner to set up an enquiry against BMC officers of K west-ward and find out which officers are responsible for the illegal demolition. The enquiry must be completed within one month. The court directed the civic body’s chief that the enquiry be conducted by an officer of the rank of additional municipal commissioner.

Asking the BMC commissioner to consider if it can give compensation to the Juhu Beach Life Guard Association, the court told the lifeguard association to write a private notice to the AAI within three days and allowed them to construct the workstation after the notice is issued.

During the last hearing, the court directed BMC officers to file an affidavit that had to contain an NOC to the lifeguard association build a workstation at Juhu beach.