BIG NEWS : Bombay HC grants no relief to owners of illegal structures in Kudalwadi

Pune: Bombay high court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Kudalwadi’s unauthorised scrap dealers and owners of illegal godowns and industrial units demanding relief from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC)’s demolition action.

They had petitioned for time to relocate and for the HC to direct the state and PCMC’s urban development department to frame policies and guidelines to address concerns of the displaced.
PCMC officials have demolished 4,031 structures — including industrial units, scrap godowns and tin sheds — spread over 791 acres over the last seven days in Kudalwadi area of Chikhali.

The civic body said the structures were built without approval of the building permission department and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board. Additionally, the owners were allegedly not following labour laws and fire safety measures. Notices were served to owners of over 4,300 unauthorised structures, all of which stand to be razed.

In a press conference on Wednesday, owners of small-scale industries claimed they had suffered losses worth over Rs7,600 crore and the amount would go up by Rs1,500 crore if all the structures served notices were demolished. Officebearers of the Pimpri Chinchwad Small-Scale Industries Association said around two lakh people have become unemployed.

On Feb 4, the HC had dismissed a petition filed by another group of owners of the illegal structures. “We are not inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 226 of India to protect the structures in the present petitions as these are thoroughly illegal and unauthorised. Petitions are accordingly dismissed,” HC bench of justices Kamal Khata and AS Gadkari said. Over 600 officials of the Pimpri Chinchwad police and 180 personnel from the Maharashtra Security Force have been deployed for the drive.