Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 15: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued show-cause notices to nine ward officers over alleged irregularities in the implementation of a road-widening scheme under Regulation 33(12)(B) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034.

According to reports, the notices have been sent to assistant commissioners of wards ranging from A (Colaba) to F South (Parel), directing them to submit detailed documentation on how the road-widening policy has been executed in their respective jurisdictions. The notices, signed by Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Ashwini Joshi on October 7, call for a comprehensive ward-wise report on the application of the regulation.

The alleged irregularities include misuse of the road-widening clause, possible collusion with developers, irregular demolition notices, and improper surveys and rehabilitation processes. The BMC has also raised concerns over how displaced residents—Project Affected Persons (PAPs)—were identified and rehabilitated.

In her directive, Joshi has sought precise details such as the number of structures surveyed, issuance of Annexure-2 documents, status of demolition notices, and data on relocation of PAPs. The officers have also been instructed to furnish photographic evidence with geolocation data to validate the records.

Regulation 33(12)(B) of DCPR 2034 facilitates the removal and re-accommodation of tolerated or protected structures that obstruct road development or widening projects. It ensures that affected occupants are rehabilitated within the same administrative ward to maintain fairness in the relocation process.

The civic body has sought these detailed records to assess whether the policy was implemented transparently and in accordance with the prescribed norms, amid growing concerns of procedural lapses and misuse of the regulation.