Mumbai : A city-based RTI activist has complained to BMC’s A ward alleging that the BMC has shown preferential treatment towards Hotel Taj Mahal Palace by allowing it to continue with renovation work despite pending dues. The BMC has fined the hotel about Rs 7 crore for occupying the adjacent footpath.
Lalit Jain wrote to the A ward about the disparity in granting permissions to various buildings in the ward which have pending dues with the BMC.
While speaking to Free Press Journal, Jain said, “A certain building called Amin House in Colaba has pending dues with the BMC worth Rs 18 lakh and the civic body has issued a ‘stop work’ notice to the builder. Hotel Taj Mahal, on the other hand, continues to conduct renovation work at the rear end of its new building.”
Shirking all responsibility, ward officials forwarded the complaint to Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee asking it to look into the matter.
However, the Heritage Committee denied any role in the issue. It said that the heritage committee’s purview is only regarding heritage regulations and it has granted permissions to Taj in consonance with its rules. It said that the concerned ward must look into the complaint and decide whether the repair work is tenantable or not and then grant further permissions.
In resonance with MHCC’s reply, Hotel Taj Mahal has claimed that all permissions for the renovation work are in place and the repairs are tenantable repairs. Being a heritage structure, the hotel has sought NOC from MHCC for the same.
Despite repeated attempts to reach A ward officer Chandrashekhar Chore, he remained unavailable for comment.
