Indore: Amid protests by residents, Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Thursday started demolition of a six-storey building consisting 45 flats in Tulsiyana Residency, a township located in Nipaniya area, stating that the structure was illegal. The action, however, once again raises question on IMC’s working in that it does not act against any illegality during construction.
When the purchasers of flats started moving in, the IMC approached them stating that they should vacate the building as it is to be demolished. Five families living in the illegal building were reportedly told on Wednesday night to vacate as on Thursday IMC would be demolishing the illegal structure.
On Thursday, a gang of IMC comprising nearly 100 employees, armed with five Poclain machines and three JCBs reached Tulsiyana Residency to demolish Block B, a six-storey apartment. Hundreds of residents from other blocks too reached there and protested against the IMC’s action.
However, IMC officers stuck to their task. While walls of the flats were broken by removal gang members using hammers, poclain and JCB machines demolished the front portion of the building. “We have started the demolition, which will take some days to complete. We will have to use cutter to dismantle the ceilings of the building,” said additional municipal commissioner Devendra Singh.
Some days ago, the IMC had demolished Money Centre, a commercial building near Ranjit Hanuman Temple. The commercial building was built on land meant for medical purpose.
Residents pelt stones, exchange blows
Residents of Tulsiyana Residency had heated exchanges with IMC officers over demolition drive. They argued as to why the IMC did not demolish the building while it was being constructed. The argument soon turned nasty and both the IMC employees and residents exchanges fists and kicks. Residents even pelted stones at IMC employees. Two employees and a journalist were hurt in the stone pelting. Later police swung into action and pushed away the angry residents.
Sent notices, pasted them also on building: IMC
Devendra Singh said that it was wrong to say that they did not act on the building when it was being constructed. “We had sent notices to the builder about an year ago stating that he should furnish documents of the building he was constructing. In the notices, we had mentioned clearly that if he failed to submit the documents, we would demolish the building. He did not submit the permissions. Then, we pasted notices on the building stating that it was being constructed illegally still people purchased flats in it,” Singh said adding that they had to demolish the building in the end.
Entire Tulsiyana Residency is illegal: IMC
While it started demolition at one block of Tulsiyana Residency, IMC stated that the entire township is illegal and needs to be knocked down. “There is not only one block which is illegal but other blocks in the townships are also illegal. I have gone through papers of other blocks also, they are not valid,” said Singh.
He stated that permissions of other blocks were also obtained by the builder in 2010 from gram panchayat. “All the permissions are faulty and illegal,” he added. He stated that the IMC would have to act against other buildings also.“We started demolishing from the block which had little occupancy. Decision on other illegal buildings will be taken later,” he added.
why building is illegal…
Devendra Singh said that building was constructed illegally by builder Sunil Bhatiya, who was recently arrested in a fraud case. He said that the builder had not obtained permission or design approval from IMC. Nipaniya was under gram panchayat till 2013. The builder had reportedly obtained permission for construction of building from the gram panchayat in 2010. The permission expired in 2011. Sources said that he obtained renewal but it also expired in 2012. In 2013, Nipaniya came under the jurisdiction of IMC.
Since Tulsiyana Residency was under the municipal limits, the builder should have obtained permission from the IMC for construction of the building but he did not do so. In 2016, he started construction of the building which took final shape about six month ago. Singh said that everything with the building was wrong and illegal. “Even the design approved by the gram panchayat in 2010 was not legal as it did not carry signatures of panchayat secretary and other office bearers,” Singh said.