Continued from page 01 SOODu2019S application for requisite permissions had not been approved for over a year- and- a- half owing to various technicalities pointed out by civic officials. The approval given on February 7 comes less than a month after Lokayukta demanded to know why necessary action was not taken. mid- day had reported in January and February, 2019 about the residential premises being used as lodging and boarding without necessary permissions. Each time Sood applied for clearance, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC) pointed out flaws.
Activist Ganesh Kusumulu approached the Lokayukta over lack of action against the building, after which the K West ward was sent a notice on January 16. On January 18, the Building Proposal ( BP) department forwarded Soodu2019s application to its head while the K West ward office sent the actor a demolition notice on February 4. On February 7, the civic chief approved Soodu2019s application.
Kusumulu pointed out that BMC should be equally benevolent towards ordinary citizens. u201c The file was miraculously approved after a demolition notice was sent. Even if the change from its purpose from residential to commercial is approved, the illegal additions and alterations remain. The BMC should act against those,u201d Kusumulu said.
u201c I have been following up with the BMC for permissions and nothing was illegal. Only permissions were in process for a long time. We had to apply and reapply, nothing happened overnight. If the ward office still requires any more papers, we will provide them. With the municipal commissioner approving my application, I donu2019t think the notice of demolition stands at all,u201d Sood told mid- day.
An official from the K West ward office said, u201c We have not checked the documents as the file goes from the municipal commissioner to the BP department and then comes to the ward office. Once we have seen the documents approving his application, we will retract the demolition notice.u201d Assistant Municipal Commissioner V P Mote said, u201c We will follow the due process of law. Be it closing the complaint or going ahead with demolition, we will check all documents thoroughly before deciding on further action.u201d u2018 How was the file suddenly okayed? Repeated applications by the actor to get alterations approved were rejected by the BMC. PIC/ SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI u2018 We will follow the due process of law. Be it closing the complaint or going ahead with demolition, we will check all documents thoroughly before deciding on further actionu2019 V P Mote, Assistant Municipal Commissioner u2018 The file was miraculously approved after a demolition notice was sent. Even if the change from its purpose from residential to commercial is approved, the illegal additions and alterations remain. The BMC should act against thoseu2019 Ganesh Kusumulu, activist Sonu Sood Approval to Sonu Soodu2019s application comes less than a month after the Lokayukta pulled up the K West ward office over lack of action; officials wait for proof of approval to retract demolition notice
