Regularising illegal buildings will bring relief to many: Sena

Fadnavis had last week said the state plans to regularise most of the illegal constructions in urban areas

Asserting that it was the state government's duty to keep a check on illegal constructions in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena today said regularising these buildings will provide a huge relief to people living in it as they face the danger of being rendered homeless anytime due to demolition orders.

"The decision taken by the Sena-BJP government will ensure that thousands of homes that were tagged illegal by their respective municipal corporations, get relief. These homes, built after years of hard work were always in danger of being demolished anytime," the Sena said in its edit in party mouthpiece 'Saamana.'

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had last week announced that the state plans to regularise most of the illegal constructions in urban areas of the state after the government had accepted in principle a report submitted by a committee headed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Sitaram Kunte on encroachments in the state.

The Kunte Committee was formed last December to study issues of unauthorised structures in urban areas of the state. The panel was also asked to recommend ways and means to prevent unauthorised structures in the future.

"They may have flouted rules while buying these unauthorised homes, but what was the government doing when these buildings were being constructed? The builders made money by selling these houses but it is the people who suffered in the end," it said.

"The state has policies to provide basic amenities to those living in unauthorised slums. Money is even allocated for the purpose. But people living in unauthorised buildings are deprived of basic facilities like water, drainage, roads, streetlights, schools and health centres," it added.

The Sena said that inspite of initiatives like booking errant ward officers, holding respective senior police officials responsible; using satellites to keep an eye on unauthorised constructions, they are still burgeoning.

"The government now needs to make sure illegal constructions do not happen in future," the Sena said.