Civic body clarifies that common passage does not belong to any individual.
Mumbai: On the issue of installation of an electric junction box in the common passage of a housing society in Versova, where actor Anushka Sharma lives, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made it clear that the common passage does not belong to any individual and it is not owned by the actor’s family.
The BMC couple of months back had received a complaint about an electric junction box installed in the common passage of the 20th floor of Badrinath Towers. Sunil Batra, who lives on the 16th floor, had complained that the Sharma family had installed the junction box, violating the fire brigade rules.
Following the complaint, the civic officials had inspected the site and termed the installation of the electric junction box as ‘highly objectionable.’ However, later they did a U-turn saying that the Sharma family owned the entire common passage and the installation could be fixed.
A senior civic official on the condition of anonymity told The Asian Age, “To say that the common passage was owned by the Sharma family was totally wrong. The common passage is open for all the society members to use. But it may also be noted that the electric junction box has been attached to the wall and there has been no construction as such.”
Prashant Gaikwad, assistant commissioner of K-West ward, said, “It is not the prerogative of the BMC to decide where to install the electric junction box. We do not approve plans on where electric junction box is installed in the society premises. We only decide on the position of meter room and electric ducts in the society.”
However, Mr Batra, the complainant, has sought clarification saying that there is discrepancy in the BMC’s stand.
“It shows the double standards adopted by the civic body. First they said the installation of electric junction box in common passage was objectionable and it should be removed immediately. But
later they said since all three flats on the 20th floor are owned by Sharma family, the passage belongs to them.
What do you make of this?”
“If the complainant wants, the mention of common passage will be removed from the correspondence, said Mr Gaikwad.
