By Shubhangi Chauhan
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) of Thane district announced on Monday, February 17, 2025 that the unauthorized buildings constructed with fake documents would be demolished according to the directive of court. The authority takes this step after receiving orders from a judicial institution to eliminate illegal constructions in KDMC areas.
The senior official from KDMC initiated an investigation after developers submitted complaints about misconduct. The verification operation showed that Kalyan-Dombivli held 65 residential and commercial buildings built through fake documentation. KDMC controlled 57 unauthorized structures among the total of 57 which already had six buildings demolished according to system records. Around 9000 people will be affected by the demolition operation.
Architect Sandeep Patil, in 2022, discovered that builders were selling flats in unlawful buildings through fabricated Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) certificates. Patil brought the matter to the Bombay High Court after KDMC refused to act and obtained orders for building demolitions. Span of 2019 to 2022 witnessed builders create wrong building blueprints then get these plans approved by RERA through counterfeit paperwork. The filing of two FIRs by KDMC caused Thane police to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate further. The police arrested fifteen people consisting of builders with additional perpetrators who manufactured counterfeit KDMC stamps.
In November, last year, the Bombay High Court reaffirmed their command to destroy the buildings. The residents filed for regularization despite their claims of ignorance about the fraud yet received no approval. The court pushed forward the deadline to February 3, 2025 after KDMC declined every one of the 38 regularization applications, thereby making all-out demolition orders mandatory. The additional municipal commissioner Yogesh Godse stated that the demolition drive would initiate with the support of police forces.
Plenty of flat purchasers gained advantages through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana benefit program. Kalyan district president Dipesh Mhatre from Sena-UBT declared on Sunday that Aditya Thackeray will lead a delegation to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for affected families’ representation.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) organized a large-scale removal operation on February 5 to eliminate unauthorized structures situated near Lower Parel along JR Boricha Road. The operation’s main purpose is the reduction of traffic jams and the reopening of paths for pedestrians. Under the direction of Mrudula Ande and the BMC G South Ward, the maintenance department demolished about 150 shanty houses along with unauthorized buildings.
The demolition project received support from N M Joshi Police Station through combined efforts of 60 males and 40 females from the police force together with 20 BMC engineers and 50 laborers. JR Boricha Road received clearance from the drive through a 300-meter space on each side which enhanced access to Sitaram Mill Municipal School.
Public officials declared that this action would create substantial benefits by decreasing heavy traffic and improving safety for all pedestrians including those who study in the area. The initiative belongs to BMC’s continuous program for developing urban infrastructure together with maintaining efficient public transportation.