NMC inaction allows food joint to run business as usual

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Dharampeth zone failed to raze illegal construction of an eating joint — ‘Bouffage’ operating from the basement of a multi-storey hospital on North Ambazari road — citing non-availability of enforcement squad.
On Wednesday, the food joint owner had sought 24-hour time to demolish the illegal construction on his own. But NMC’s inaction on Thursday saw ‘Bouffage’ operating like any other day.

On April 4, the zone’s anti-encroachment squad had visited the eatery to raze it as it had come up on space meant for parking of vehicles.

In December last year, Madhukar Kukde, president of Citizens Forum of Equality — a city-based NGO — had brought the issue of illegal construction of M/s Bouffage Hotel in the building’s basement meant for parking to the notice of Dharampeth zone. However, the zone office led by assistant municipal commissioner Mahesh Moroney took almost four months to take action after it served notice to Bouffage to stop the hotel’s functioning and razed the illegal construction.

On Thursday, TOI visited the spot and found that the hotel owner has on his own started dismantling the extended portion of the eating joint but it was functioning as usual.

To this, Moroney pointed out that owner of the hotel claimed that he had sanctioned map to run a canteen. The assistant municipal commissioner has asked him to submit sanctioned map to the zone office. The assistant commissioner said the zone has no power in the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act to seal the premises.

Kukde, however, ruled out NMC giving nod to operate the hotel in the basement and pointed out the building has already a canteen situated in its third floor.

Residents of the locality too pointed out the misuse of parking space is creating problem. The unauthorized construction is forcing visitors to the hospital to park their vehicles in front of their homes, on the inner lanes.

With vehicles taking up so much of parking space on the roadsides and pavement, the residents have to walk on the street through dangerous traffic. “This largely affects children and senior citizens,” the residents complain, adding that the problem has increased due to ongoing construction of Metro rail.

Describing the situation as pathetic and one which is driving all the inhabitants crazy, residents claimed their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. The eating joint owner Anshul Jaiswal did not respond to TOI’s call and text message.

Meanwhile, the NMC’s Dharampeth zone recently issued a fresh notice to Maharashtra Rashtrabhasha Sabha (MRS) asking it demolish part of its building on North Ambazari Road that houses Wockhardt Hospital. The notice states that 270.465 square metre area located on parking, fourth and fifth floors have to be razed.

The notice states that extra construction was done against the sanctioned building plan.

Zone’s assistant commissioner has warned that if its directive was not followed then these encroachments would be razed and expenses would have to be borne by MRS. “A criminal complaint against MRS president would also be lodged in the concerned police station,” the notice stated.