Nagpur: NMC Dharampeth zone office on Tuesday issued stop work notice to The Bawa restaurant situated in Jaika Apartments near old VCA stadium. Subsequently, NMC's anti-encroachment squad removed the temporary sheds constructed in front the food joint.
Dharampeth zone's assistant municipal commissioner Mahesh Morone stated the restaurant was being illegally operated from a residential premises. The flat is registered in the name of one Meenakshi Kalra and has been given on rent to Yohan Doongaji. Doongaji reportedly converted the flat into a restaurant and made structural changes without any permission from the zone office.
According to development control rules and Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, one cannot carry out commercial activity in a residential flat or an independent house, he said.
It is not the first time that the zone office has taken action against The Bawa's. In the past too, similar action was taken. At that time, the owner had assured to remove the illegal constructions on his own. Later he approached the district court. Recently, he lost the case following which on Tuesday, the anti-encroachment team led by assistant municipal commissioner Ashok Patil demolished the encroachments.
The owner tried to seek more time claiming they had filed a revision petition in Mantralaya. Morone asked to see the stay order and as owner failed to produce it, the squad armed an excavator demolished the illegal construction.
Other residents of the building have objected to running of eating joint there. Since its opening, traffic jams have increased as visitors park their vehicles on road because restaurant has no parking place of its own. On Saturdays and Sundays, it is difficult to move on the road from Jaika Motors to old VCA gate, which is a narrow lane, residents said.
The restaurant owner showed many other violations carried out in the same apartments. Morone was informed about illegal extension by a lawyer and another office of JJ Construction (Sand and Steel suppliers), Brown Sugar and Anchal Boutique.
During the drive, Jagadeesan Krishnamurthy, a resident of Utkarsh-Anuradha Apartments and other residents met Morone and pointed out that since 2006, the 150 flat owners here had complained over construction of kitchen in the basement of The Heritage Hotel. The kitchen is also located next to electrical transformer creating a hazard.
Residents pointed out they had only one exit point and that is beside the hotel. If a fire erupted, they would've have no escape route. The residents around the hotel have lodged complaints with the authorities a number of times. When almost 150 residents from Prestige Apartments, Jaika Apartments, Hemchandra Apartments, Manav Apartments and Utkarsha Anuradha Apartments approached the civic body's town planning department they got a reply confirming that the hotel had violated all norms.
Morone assured them he would take action against all violations including the hotel and commercial usage of residential flats. He directed the zone to remove an illegal pan kiosk too.
