An RTI reply shows that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation received 98,689 original complaints over a decade, but carried out demolition action in only 13,211 cases
MUMBAI — The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took demolition action in only 13,211 cases out of 98,689 original complaints about illegal constructions received over the past 10 years, according to information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The figures, obtained by RTI activist Shakeel Ahmed Sheikh, raise questions about the municipal body’s handling of complaints against unauthorised constructions and the functioning of its online Real Estate Tracking Management System (RETMS), which was introduced to receive complaints and facilitate action against such structures.
According to the information supplied by the BMC, it received a total of 214,917 complaints during the 10 years. Of these, 116,229 were repeat complaints, while the number of original complaints was recorded as 98,689.
Demolition action was carried out in 13,211 cases, amounting to approximately 15.6 per cent of the original complaints.
The BMC’s figures also provide details of notices issued and the subsequent stages of action. A total of 60,332 notices were prepared against the original complaints, of which 57,521 were issued. The civic body also issued 31,486 show-cause notices.
Demolition was considered necessary in 29,916 cases. The arrangements for demolition were reported to be pending in 15,318 cases, while arrangements had been made in 1,387 cases. Actual demolition action was carried out in 13,211 cases.
The figures raise questions about the gap between cases in which demolition was considered necessary and those in which the civic body actually acted. The RTI activist has called for the BMC to make the present status of all pending cases public and explain the action being taken in each of them.
The ward-wise figures also show considerable differences in the number of complaints and demolition action.
L Ward recorded the highest number of complaints, with 30,935 cases. However, demolition action was taken in only 637 cases.
K East Ward received 24,064 complaints, of which 1,325 resulted in demolition action. M East Ward recorded 14,510 complaints, but action was taken in just 159 cases. P South Ward received 14,424 complaints, with demolition action reported in 1,932 cases.
The figures for L Ward are particularly striking: despite having the highest number of complaints, the number of demolitions remained relatively low.
Sheikh questioned the BMC’s handling of illegal constructions and the gap between notices and actual enforcement.
“The BMC’s Building and Factory Department has been taking action against illegal constructions for a long time. Crores of rupees are spent every year, yet illegal constructions continue to receive protection?” he asked.
He said more than 15,000 notices were issued annually, but the rate of actual demolition remained very low.
“Why is actual action not taken after notices are issued? What disciplinary action has been taken against officials who fail to act? How many times have responsible officers protecting illegal constructions been suspended? The public should be given answers to these questions,” Sheikh said.
He has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, urging them to initiate demolition action against pending illegal constructions without further delay.
He has also demanded the suspension of officials and employees found responsible and strict action against them.
The RTI figures come at a time when the Maharashtra government has spoken of its ambition to transform Mumbai into a city comparable to Shanghai. The findings raise questions about the BMC’s enforcement of building regulations and its ability to address complaints of unauthorised construction across the city.
