Mumbai: The permit for a 40ftx40ft hoarding issued to a construction company has been cancelled by BMC after the firm, Shah Construction Co Ltd,was accused of hacking 63 betel nut trees to clear the view for the boarding. Despite the permit being revoked, the illuminated billboard continues to function, alleged filmmaker and activist Ashoke Pandit who also said that the police are still to file a criminal offence in the matter despite permission from the court.
The garden department of BMC’s K-West ward had filed a non-cognisable offence at Amboli police station. The betel nut trees stood on the median of New Link Road, Andheri (west), between the RTO junction and Maruti Suzuki service station, until October.
The cancellation of the permit follows issuance of a show-cause notice to the construction company in November, by deputy municipal commissioner (special) Chanda Jadhav for cutting 63 betel nut trees. In its reply to the notice, the company had stated that it did not cut a single tree and had claimed that it was unaware of the misdeed. The civic body had held hearing in December.
In the wake of of the report from the garden department, which filed a non-cognisable offence against the company, and a report from BMC’s licence department whose official had visited the site and found that 63 betel nut trees in the vicinity of the hoarding had been cut, besides a photograph produced by the licence department, the deputy municipal commissioner had found that the company “violated BMC policy guidelines” and, the civic body had therefore rejected the permit granted to the company for display of the hoarding.
Activist Ashoke Pandit, who pursued the matter, said, “BMC has done a good job in cancelling the permit for the company’s hoarding, but why is the hoarding still allowed to function? I have appealed to BMC’s ward officer to take strict action.”
Pandit also wondered aloud why the police have been delaying the filing of an FIR, despite permissions being granted by the court. Pandit said he has written to police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, pointing out that despite the BMC having filed a complaint at Amboli police station and permission being obtained from the high court, an FIR was yet to be registered. Deputy commissioner of police Dikshit Gedam, was not available for comment.
The garden department of BMC’s K-West ward had filed a non-cognisable offence at Amboli police station. The betel nut trees stood on the median of New Link Road, Andheri (west), between the RTO junction and Maruti Suzuki service station, until October.
The cancellation of the permit follows issuance of a show-cause notice to the construction company in November, by deputy municipal commissioner (special) Chanda Jadhav for cutting 63 betel nut trees. In its reply to the notice, the company had stated that it did not cut a single tree and had claimed that it was unaware of the misdeed. The civic body had held hearing in December.
In the wake of of the report from the garden department, which filed a non-cognisable offence against the company, and a report from BMC’s licence department whose official had visited the site and found that 63 betel nut trees in the vicinity of the hoarding had been cut, besides a photograph produced by the licence department, the deputy municipal commissioner had found that the company “violated BMC policy guidelines” and, the civic body had therefore rejected the permit granted to the company for display of the hoarding.
Activist Ashoke Pandit, who pursued the matter, said, “BMC has done a good job in cancelling the permit for the company’s hoarding, but why is the hoarding still allowed to function? I have appealed to BMC’s ward officer to take strict action.”
Pandit also wondered aloud why the police have been delaying the filing of an FIR, despite permissions being granted by the court. Pandit said he has written to police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, pointing out that despite the BMC having filed a complaint at Amboli police station and permission being obtained from the high court, an FIR was yet to be registered. Deputy commissioner of police Dikshit Gedam, was not available for comment.
