Bhopal municipality asks Jaya Bachchan to pay for demolitions
|
|
Bollywood star-turned politician Jaya Bachchan has been served a
notice by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay the amount
spent on repeated demolitions of "illegal constructions" in her two
flats here, officials said
On June 16, a BMC team demolished "illegal structures"
constructed at her flats H 101 and 102 in Ansal Apartments where
Jaya's mother Indira Bhaduri lives.
BMC officials said a bill of Rs.2,800 was sent Tuesday to Jaya
Bachchan as demolition charges.
In the last 10 months, the BMC have thrice demolished illegal
structures at 16 flats in Ansal Apartments.
"All the 16 residents, whose structures have been demolished,
combined together will have to pay demolition charges amounting to
nearly Rs.60,000," said Bhopal Mayor Sunil Sood.
The drive was initiated September 2006 on the directives of the
Lokayukta, who investigates corruption cases against ministers and
government officials after the Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld a
lower court's decision to demolish illegal structures at Ansal
Apartments.
Owners of ground floor flats had constructed a boundary wall and a
shed on land meant as common open space. People living on the upper
floors protested the construction and requested the BMC to raze the
illegal structures.
About four years back, J.L. Ajmani, a former Indian Administrative
Services officer living in an upper floor flat, complained to the
divisional commissioner that the common open space was being
encroached upon. He added that residents were left with no space
for parking vehicles and for children to play.
BMC officials said they issued a notice January 2003 to remove the
illegal structures but the owners, including Jaya Bachchan, took
the matter to the district court June 2005.
The court closed the case September that year without giving them
any relief. They then filed a petition with the high court, which
turned down their plea in May 2006. The BMC initiated action in
September 2006 when Ajmani complained to the Lokayukta.
Indo-Asian News Service
|
