THANE: The Thane Municipal Commissioner, Saurabh Rao, issued a warning of stern action against assistant commissioners if they fail to take action on illegal constructions within their respective areas.
The warning was issued by Rao during a closed-door meeting with civic officials late Friday over the apparent flourishing of illegal constructions in the city and suburbs.
“The courts have taken a very strict stand on unauthorised constructions and also commented on the working process. The orders given by the courts in this regard (illegal constructions) should be followed without delay. You are responsible for ensuring no illegal constructions flourish in your area of operation. Immediate action is required to be taken once an illegal construction is spotted and noted in the beat diary. If you (assistant commissioners) want to continue working, you must not succumb to any pressure,” he instructed his teams.
Rao also directed the assistant commissioners to immediately inspect the site after an unauthorised construction was recorded in the beat diary and insisted on their presence during demolition before they get occupied.
Rao pointed out that 769 unauthorised constructions were identified in all ward committee areas of Thane Municipal Corporation, of which 663 were registered in the beat diaries of the respective ward committees. He instructed his teams to demolish these structures immediately by deploying adequate machinery and manpower.
“The courts have pointed out the excuses given by officials for not taking action against illegal constructions, including unavailability of security, opposition from locals, and (political) pressure, among others. Unauthorised constructions should be removed without giving any reasons. The entire responsibility will remain on the assistant commissioner. Necessary manpower and machinery will be made available by the zonal deputy commissioners,” Rao added.
