ROW AT DAHISAR: Activists protest leasing out of fire station plot

Adapted and enhanced by Dr. S. P. Mathew from the article dated Jun 03 2014 : The Times of India (Mumbai)

Activists in Dahisar on Monday staged a protest against the bhoomji pujan for the construction of a fire station, claiming the BMC had leased out a huge part of the land, originally reserved for the facility, to a private developer.

Figure 1 Protestors at the Bhumi Pujan of proposed Fire Brigade

Activist Harish Pandey said the total area of the plot reserved for the fire station was 12,500 sq m, of which the civic body gave out 10,000 sq m to the developer for construction. The fire station would be built on the remaining portion, he claimed.

But the BMC clarified that it leased out the plot under a policy called, accommodation reservation, as it had estimated that the fire station would not require the entire land.

Under the policy, the BMC said, the developer was allowed to construct on 10,000 sq m but it would also have to build the fire station in the remaining 2,500 sq m.

Pandey, however, insisted that the BMC should not have leased out the land and that it did not take into account the growing demand of emergency services in the ever-burgeoning city. “Most fire brigade buildings are now dilapidated. Why couldn’t the BMC build residential quarters here?” said Pandey, who was detained by the police for allegedly creating law-and-order problem at the bhoomi pujan function. He also pointed out that while the city required over 100 fire stations, there were only one third the number currently.

Mr. Pandey was prevented from attending the Bhoomi Pujan and was arrested by the MHB Police.

He was given a written letter after he insisted that he cannot be arrested without any order.

Figure 2 Letter issued to Harish Pandey by Senior PI, MHB

Today morning New Link Road Resident Forum members met Hon. MP Shri Gopal Shetty to congratulate him and hand over a letter mentioning our objections to the Fire Brigade plot being developed by builder rather than being taken over by builder.

Figure 3 New Link Road Forum members handing over petition to Shri Gopal Shetty, MP