Times of India: Kolhapur:
Wednesday, 09 December 2015.
Civic
activists on Monday alleged that the new building for the district and other
courts has been constructed without getting necessary permissions from the
Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Prajasattak
Samaj Seva Sanstha, a forum of civic activists, made the allegations based on a
Right to Information (RTI) reply in which the civic body categorically stated
that it has not given permission to the public works department (PWD) for
construction of the building. The complex, built at a cost of Rs 28 crore, was
supposed to be completed by 2011.
The forum
also alleged that the survey of the land, on which the court building has been
constructed, is yet to be conducted. The activists have written a letter to the
chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, attaching documents obtained through RTI
query, demanding action against those responsible for constructing the court
building 'illegally'. By spending Rs 28 crore has not been done yet and no
boundaries have been marked. The forum has written a letter to the chief
minister Devendra Fadnavis attached with the copies obtained through RTI
demanding action against those responsible for constructing the court building
illegally.
The public
works department has completed the work of new building for the district and
other courts without procuring the building permission from the Kolhapur
Municipal Corporation (KMC), reveals the documents procured through Right to
Information (RTI) by Prajasattak Samaj Seva Sanstha.
The
organisation is a forum of the civic activists which on Monday alleged that the
PWD has completed the work of the court without procuring building permission
from the KMC. The forum has also alleged that the survey of the land piece on
which the court building is constructed by spending Rs 28 crore has not been
done yet and no boundaries have been marked. The forum has written a letter to
the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attached with the copies obtained through
RTI demanding action against those responsible for constructing the court
building illegally.
Dilip Desai,
president of the forum, said, "In response to an RTI query submitted by
us, the KMC replied on Sunday clearly stating that it has not given permission
for the building or division of the plot. We have sought documents related to
various permissions procured by the PWD for constructing the court complex on
22-acre plot. Since the building has been constructed without procuring
necessary permissions from the civic authority, it can be considered illegal
and appropriate action should be initiated against those responsible."
The PWD had
assigned the work to build the court complex in 2009 to a city-based developer.
The work was supposed to be completed in two years. The new court building will
house as many as 65 courts comprising civil, criminal, family and cooperative
courts. Most of them are located on the district court premises at Bhausingji
Road, opposite Chhatrapati Pramila Raje (CPR) civil hospital. The decision to
build the new court complex was taken following huge traffic congestion caused
at the hospital due to the presence of public establishments here.
"The KMC
had written a letter to the PWD in August this year to complete formalities
like procuring no-objection certificates (NOCs) from other departments.
However, the RTI reply states that the PWD has not taken any initiative to
fulfil the requirements needed for getting the building permission," said
Desai.
S B Shaikh,
deputy engineer of the PWD, said, "We have not received any complaint from
the forum, so far." When asked about whether the building permission was
taken from the KMC, the officer said every documentation process for seeking
the permission has been completed.
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