Govt to probe delay in action against illegal construction of

The Maharashtra government today assured the state legislative assembly that it would probe the delay in demolishing alleged illegal constructions made by an eatery in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.
Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil said an inquiry would be conducted to check why the demolition of illegal construction by the popular eatery was delayed by over a year.
Congress MLA Sunil Kedar alleged that while part of illegal construction of the eatery- Wok Express- was pulled down, some other portions are yet to be razed.
The restaurant, which operates on the ground floor of a building, is being managed by Spice and Grains Overseas, of which Piyush Bongirwar is a director. Bongirwar is the brother-in-law of Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"Will any action be taken against the IAS officer involved in this matter," Kedar asked.
Patil said the government has already filed an affidavit in the court.

Clarifying that there was no stay order given to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), he said, "We will probe why there was a delay in demolition in the first place."
The Speaker of the House Haribhau Bagde sought to know why the question was even admitted when the matter was pending before the court.
The restaurant was in the news last year when an activist found under the Right to Information (RTI) that Patil had allegedly stayed the demolition of the illegal portions of the restaurant.

A PIL filed by activist Pravin Wategaonkar alleging that Patil had stayed the demolition even though there existed no provision in the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act for granting such a relief.
On July 5, the Bombay High Court had directed Patil to file an affidavit in response to the PIL, which alleged that he misused his powers to save the eatery from demolition.