Pranav Birje | The News Bulletins
Taking cognizance of the hardships faced by citizens living in hundreds of buildings in Mumbai without an Occupation Certificate (OC), the newly appointed Mumbai BJP President Amit Satam has constituted a four-member Study (Abhyas) Committee under the leadership and guidance of former North Mumbai MP Gopal Shetty.
The committee includes eminent and highly experienced lawyers such as Adv. Amit Mehta, Adv. Vivekanand Gupta, Adv. Jayprakash Mishra, and Adv. Siddharth Sharma. This committee will not only collect detailed information on Mumbai’s non-OC buildings but also prepare a comprehensive report highlighting the difficulties faced by residents, as well as the harassment they face from officials under the guise of rules and regulations. The report will be submitted to the Mumbai BJP President so that satisfactory and concrete solutions can be initiated.
The issue of flats being vacated due to lack of OC came into sharp focus when residents of Willingdon Society’s 34-storey tower in Tardeo were faced with the prospect of vacating their hard-earned homes from the 17th to 34th floors because of the absence of an OC. When the distressed residents found no way out, they approached former North Mumbai MP Gopal Shetty—well known for fighting public interest causes—and shared their plight. Seeing the seriousness of the matter and the agony of the flat owners, Gopal Shetty took the issue into his own hands and immediately went into ‘action mode’ to save the roofs over their heads.
From writing letters and holding meetings with the BMC Commissioner to staging demonstrations outside the Chief Fire Officer’s office, Shetty made every possible effort to protect the homes of Willingdon’s residents. He received full cooperation from Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha as well as from Maharashtra’s Honorable Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
During the agitation, Shetty told the media that while his struggle was certainly for the residents of Willingdon Society, it was not limited to them. “There are thousands of such buildings in Mumbai without an OC. If the fight for Willingdon is not pursued strongly, then tomorrow, under the cover of these loose rules and laws, officials may target thousands of other buildings—and that could spark a storm in Mumbai, which is otherwise calm.”
Taking note of Shetty’s struggle, reasoning, and suggestions, senior BJP leaders in Mumbai decided to seek a permanent resolution. As part of that effort, Mumbai BJP President Amit Satam formed this committee so that a solid plan with positive long-term results could be developed. The goal is to ensure that non-OC buildings can obtain OCs more easily and that the complex procedures in securing OCs for future constructions are simplified and streamlined.
Welcoming the decision to form the Study Committee, Gopal Shetty expressed confidence that once the report is submitted, Maharashtra’s Honorable Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may even announce an Amnesty Scheme to grant OCs to old buildings lacking them, while also directing the concerned departments to make the process more lenient and supportive.