Thane: MBMC restarts stalled drive, razes 500 hutments in Kashimira

Bhayandar: Twenty-two days after they had to beat a hasty retreat due to stiff resistance by protesting local’s, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) returned with a huge police force on Monday to demolish nearly 500 hutments which had illegally sprung up on land tagged with Adivasi (Tribal) reservation in the Kajupada area of Kashimira.

After razing 50 tenements on April 1, the drive was eventually aborted owing to the marginal presence of police personnel which apparently outnumbered the swelling mob which comprised mostly of women protesters.

On Monday, the MBMC’s anti-encroachment team led by Sanjay Donde under the instructions of civic chief B G Pawar resumed the drive amidst heavy protection provided by the Thane (rural) police. As many as 200 civic employees accompanied by an equal number of police personnel under the supervision of ASP Atul Kulkarni and four JCB machines were assigned the job.

The police are also into the process of filing cases under the MRTP Act against 250 people including local slumlords for their involvement in the illegal construction activities. It should be noted that, in reply to a call-to-attention motion moved by Shiv Sena Legislator Pratap Sarnaik, Minister of State-Dr. Ranjit Patil had issued standing instructions to the civic administration to weed out the illegalities. Vast stretches of land have been grabbed by the local slum mafia to illegally build single room tenements in the region. It has been alleged that most of the tenements are being sold or rented out by slumlords to illegal immigrants and anti-social elements.

The illegal hutments which have mushroomed mostly on forest, adivasi and private no-development land, have the blessings of local politicians who are said to be hand-in-glove with the slum mafia.