Union Minister Narayan Rane (File) THE BRIHANMUMBAI Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday completed its inspection of Union Minister Narayan Rane’s bungalow in Juhu following the complaint of illegal construction and flouting of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. A team of nine officers from K-west ward (Andheri) visited the seven storey bungalow ‘Adhish’ and took photographs, measurements inside the bungalow and checked documents related to approvals.
The BMC had issued a notice to the bungalow under section 488 of Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888 regarding the inspection. According to sources, after the Bombay High Court questioned the BMC over its promptness in demolishing actor Kangana Ranaut’s bungalow, the civic body is proceeding with caution in Rane’s matter.
The BMC’s action came after Right To Information (RTI) activist Santosh Daundkar filed a reminder complaint alleging it did not take any action on his previous complaints regarding illegal construction of the bungalow.
The bungalow has been in the news for the past few years over alleged illegalities. Daundkar said he had filed a complaint since the bungalow, built within 50 metres of the sea, violated CRZ rules, 1991.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said the civic body’s action was as per the law. “The BMC is not doing this suddenly, but Mr Rane himself has said the BMC had gone to them four years ago also. Hence, the BMC is just doing its job of inspection and we are certain that Mr Rane will cooperate,” she told the reporters.
On Monday, BJP MLA and Rane’s son Nitesh Rane told the reporters about the notice.
“We will cooperate with the BMC and my father (Narayan Rane) is present at the bungalow,” he said.
Earlier, on Saturday, addressing a press conference, Rane denied any illegality in the bungalow.
Prithviraj Chauhan, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of BMC’s K west ward who conducted the inspection, did not respond to calls.
The notice to Rane comes in the backdrop of the father-son duo taking on the Shiv Sena and criticising the party leadership. Recently, at a press conference, Rane had alleged that Uddhav Thackeray’s bungalow in Bandra was constructed illegally and it was regularised by paying a penalty to the BMC.
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