Special cop stations to check illegal structures

Units To Be Ready In A Year, BMC To Bear Cost

Mumbai: The city, home to a large number of illegal constructions, will soon have police stations exclusively to keep tabs on these. A long-pending proposal to the effect is finally taking off with BMC expediting its implementation. 
    "The urban development department had sent us the proposal asking us if we would bear the recurring and non-recurring costs. We will reply in the affirmative and the police stations will be ready within a year," said Chandrashekhar Rokade, deputy municipal commissioner (encroachments). 
    According to the proposal, there will be three police stations, one each in the island city, western and eastern suburbs with a police force of 1,095 justtolookinto matters related to encroachments and illegal constructions. 
    "We had asked BMC to look into the proposal and tell us if itwouldbear the recurring and non-recurring costs. Once that is done, we can take the work forward," said Manu Kumar Shrivastava, secretary, urban development department. 
    The police stations have been proposed atByculla,Andheri and Chembur. Civic officials said the proposal has been made along the lines of Maharashtra State Electricity Board's modelof policestationsset up to look into electricity thefts. "The proposal to create police stations in Maharashtra solely for problems related to unauthorized constructions had been pending for long. But now, we have expedited the process and chalked out a final proposal," said a senior civic official. "MSEB has set up six police stations across Maharashtra to exclusively concentrate on power thefts. We have foundoutthattheftshavecome down drastically over the years." 
    A budgetary provision of Rs 41.76 crore has been made for establishment costs and Rs 8.16 crore for the equipment required. According to the proposal,the policeforcewillbeon deputation for three years and the civic body will pay the deputation allowance. Assistantpolice commissioners will head each police station. 
    BMC officials say the process of illegal construction is simple—and difficult to contain. A slumlord identifies open government land and reclaims it by illegally dumping construction debris. Shanties are constructed with brick masonry and rolling shutters. Later, structures are given permanent statuswiththehelp of officials. 
    Civic officials said that often complaints related to BMC are not registered at police stations.Moreover, a lackof a dedicated police force for these matters causes delays. 
    "The police stations will look into cases related to BMC Act, 1988, Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, Maharashtra Slum Improvement Act, 2005, and crimes related to urban development," Rokade said.