Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 09:28 AM IST
BMC to increase demolition force
All 7 zones will have independent assistant commissioners.
Mumbai: For an effective action against illegal constructions in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to appoint a number of assistant commissioners required for encroachment removal drives.
The civic body will now have an independent assistant commissioner for each of its seven administrative zones for taking action against illegal structures.
At present, there are three posts of assistant commissioners, one each for city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs, in the civic encroachment removal department.
“Taking into account the rising number of illegal constructions and encroachments, we need to increase the number of posts for assistant commissioners to monitor the works of encroachment removal in the city,” said a senior civic official.
There are seven administrative zones in the BMC and each of them requires an independent assistant commissioner for taking action against unauthorised constructions. All seven assistant commissioners will work under their respective zo-nal deputy commissioner and deputy commissioner (encroachment removal), the official added.
According to civic officials, the rising number of unauthorised constructions is one of the serious challenges faced by the civic administration. The encroachment removal department provides help to assistant commissioners for the removal of illegal structures and constructions in their respective wards.
The department also carries out works of conservation of land documents and pursue various cases pertaining to removal of encroachments in ward offices.
The department also carries out the task of co-ordinating with high-level police officials, whe-n police help is required for demolition drive on a large scale.
Civic activist Rudresh Satupute said “The appointment of assistant commissioners for each of the administrative zones is a good move. But they should ensure that action at the ground level is more effective. Only then the BMC would be able to control the rising number of illegal constructions in the city.”
