Showing posts with label Iqbal Singh Chahal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iqbal Singh Chahal. Show all posts
BMC orders inquiry into alleged illegal film studios in Madh; transfers official
8:07 AM
One of the studios under scanner, in Madh
Civic commissoner orders inquiry into the alleged roles played by the BMC officials at the time and the state coastal authority
Sameer Surve (MID-DAY; September 7, 2022)
BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the alleged illegal studios in Madh, Marve, Erangal, Bhati and Malad. The roles of officials from the civic body and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) are also under scanner.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Central Purchase Department, Harshad Kale will head the inquiry over the next four weeks, said Chahal. Among the officials under scanner are P North ward’s assistant municipal commissioner and Assistant Engineer Tushar Dudhara.
Forgery allegations
“The BMC has received complaints about 49 such studios that came up between 2021 and 2022 in the no-development zone (NDZ) of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). There are allegations that thousands of square meters of such studios are built without proper permission, fraudulent documents forged with the help of BMC and MCZMA officials,” Chahal stated in a written order (a copy of which is with mid-day).
The MCZMA falls under the state’s Department of Environment, which was headed by Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray between 2021 and July 2022.
Recently, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya claimed that studios in Madh and Marve were illegal. Somaiya and other BJP leaders visited some of the studios and subsequently, the BMC issued stop-work notices to a few of them on August 26.
Report in four weeks
Chahal has asked the probe committee to conduct the enquiry within four weeks. “The enquiry report should include aspects specifying the role played by the BMC officials. The inquiry officer is also directed to see further proposed action to be taken by the BMC and other suggestive measures to prevent such wrongdoings,” his letter reads.
The committee will look into these points
>> Role of P-North ward
>> No. of functional studios
>> No. of permissions granted
>> What types of permissions were granted by MCZMA
>> Whether permissions were granted for temporary film shoots or sets
>> Whether BMC officials, in connivance with studio owners, misused temporary permissions
>> Whether studios have legal permission
>> Whether studios are in CRZ and NDZ
--------------------------------------
Richa Pinto (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 8, 2022)
Mumbai: The inquiry initiated by BMC chief I S Chahal with regard to unauthorized studios in Malad is likely to probe the role of at least four civic officials, all from P North ward.
Meanwhile, the BMC on Wednesday transferred Tushar Dudhara, assistant engineer, P/North ward, to the Hydraulics department. Dudhara is among the officials under the scanner for his possible role in allowing unauthorized film studios to operate in the Madh, Marve area, without requisite MCZMA permissions. He was the only officer named by Chahal in an order on Tuesday, directing inquiry into these film studios.
Civic sources said the 49 studios under lens for flouting norms were constructed in 20202021. A BMC official said when the studios first came up, they had both BMC and Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) permissions. However, the permits are required to be renewed every six months. While the BMC kept renewing permissions, the MCZMA permissions were not in place.
A fortnight ago, the local BMC ward office issued notices to all these studios stating that their request for permission at MCZMA level is pending, and that they need to produce it before the BMC to continue operating these studios. As these studios continued getting BMC permissions without the MCZMA permissions, the role of four officers in charge during the period — namely assistant engineer, junior engineer, maintenance department officials and also the ward officers — will be probed.
While the inquiry timeline is for four weeks, it is learned that the civic chief has demanded that the same be completed as soon as possible with suggestive measures to prevent such wrongdoing. Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiyya, a complainant in the matter, also tweeted about the order on Tuesday.
Restaurants, theatres and malls have to shut by 10 pm in Maharashtra
8:41 AM
Priyanka Kakodkar & Bella Jaisinghani | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 9, 2022)
Mumbai: Faced with the Omicron wave, the Maharashtra government has introduced measured curbs aimed at controlling crowds and pushing for vaccinations, but sparing the economic engine. The restrictions, which will come into force on Monday, include a night curfew from 11pm to 5am where moving out is allowed only for essential purposes. Also, no movement will be allowed in groups of five or more people from 5 am to11 pm.
Gyms, beauty salons, spas, swimming pools and wellness centres will be shut. However, hair-cutting salons are allowed to operate at 50% capacity, though they must close between 10 pm and 7 am.
Entertainment parks, zoos, museums, forts and tourist spots will be closed. Schools and colleges in the state have to remain closed till February 15. BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal said the restrictions will apply to Mumbai as they are.
-----------------------
Mumbai: The state government has allowed malls, markets and restaurants to operate at 50% capacity. Cinemas and drama theatres have also been allowed 50% capacity. The only riders are that those entering have to be fully vaccinated and that all these establishments have to close between 10 pm and 8 am.
Private offices have been advised to keep attendance at 50% and offer flexible and staggered timings to keep crowding down. Government offices will not be allowed visitors without the permission of the head of the office.
“We don’t want to shut down livelihoods but to curtail crowds. We do not want to impose a lockdown and close down everything,” said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in a statement. “But no restrictions will be effective unless we all adhere to Covid protocols,” he added.
The new notification gets tougher on vaccinations. Although construction and industrial activities as well as cargo transport activities are allowed, these are only for the fully vaccinated. Only fully vaccinated people can attend private offices. Also, besides those working in malls and restaurants, now people engaged in e-commerce and home delivery have to be fully vaccinated as well. Additional restrictions can be enforced separately for districts with low vaccination coverage.
Those in the gym and beauty parlour trade are upset. Anita Mohan Salunke, who runs Plush Hema’s Salon in Khar, said, “It is middle-class ladies like me who make up the largest number of beauticians in the city. The big chains are but a few. I trained and worked at a big salon, took a shop on a rent of Rs 1. 65 lakh and started my business. How will I survive if we face another closure?”
Haami Basan of Planet Muscle gymnasium in Andheri West, said, “Another closure will drive the final nail into the coffin for many gyms. Business is at an all-time low with prolonged shutdowns, monthly rent amounts of Rs 4-5 lakh, salaries and overhead costs.”
Restaurants had been allowed to revert to pre-Coronavirus pandemic timings in November 2021, and the trade is hopeful the timings will be extended once again. “In Mumbai we had been allowed to stay open till 1:30 am. Now it’s back to 10 pm. We support the government in the fight against Covid but we hope timings are extended once again,” said Shivanand Shetty, president of the Indian Hotels and Restaurant Association.
Mumbai BMC chief summoned over demolition at Kangana Ranaut's home
8:33 AM
State human rights commission was hearing a petition that said the act was a violation of the actor's human rights, asks Iqbal Singh Chahal to appear on January 20
MID-DAY (December 24, 2020)
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has asked BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal to appear before it on January 20, 2021 during a hearing of a petition filed against the demolition of parts of actor Kangana Ranaut's Bandra bungalow by the civic body. The petition was moved before the commission two days ago claiming that the BMC's act of razing portions of the actor's bungalow was a violation of her human rights.
The BMC had justified the demolition in upscale Pali Hill on the grounds that the actor had carried out illegal work at the bungalow. It was carried out on September 9.
Petitioner Aditya Mishra has relied on an order of the Bombay High Court which has termed the BMC's drive a "malice in law". He also cited a Supreme Court ruling that declared the right to private property to be a human right. If any act by the state or its agencies pertaining to someone's private property is found to be illegal, then it is a violation of human rights, said the petitioner, citing the apex court order.
"When the act of BMC is found to be illegal by the Bombay High Court, then it's a crystal clear case of violation of human rights, which warrants the intervention of the commission," he said. The rights panel on Wednesday accepted the petition and issued summons to BMC chief Iqbal Chahal.
Last month, the HC, in its order on Ranaut's petition challenging the BMC's action, had said it was a "mala fide act" done to cause substantial loss to the actress. The HC had also said it did not approve of authorities using "muscle power" against any citizen. "The civic body proceeded to act and illegally against the rights of a citizen," the HC had said.
-----------------------------
But Actor Gets 6 Wks’ Reprieve To Approach HC
Swati Deshpande (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 24, 2020)
Mumbai: In a relief to the BMC, a city civil court in Dindoshi on Tuesday dismissed an application for interim protection filed last year by actor Kangana Ranaut against a civic notice over alleged “grave violations of sanctioned plans” by merging three flats into one in the 16-storey D B Breeze building in Khar.
City civil judge I S Chavan, however, on a plea from Ranaut’s lawyer Cathrine Fernandes and Rizwan Siddiquee gave her six weeks to challenge the dismissal order before the Bombay high court.
The building, located opposite Khar Gymkhana, has been under BMC scanner for alleged unauthorised constructions and violations of building plan since March 2018. In January 2019, the court had issued a status quo order on applications filed by Ranaut and the society, RKW Construction Facility Management Pvt Ltd, against the civic notices. The BMC had sought action against the actor for allegedly “covering sunk areas, ducts, common passages as per her own convenience, thereby causing threat to other members of the society”.
The court, on Tuesday, passed a similar dismissal order in a separate application filed by RKW Construction Facility Management, but also stayed it for six weeks on a plea by its lawyer Rohit Shetty who said he wanted to approach the HC.
BMC counsel, Dharmesh Vyas, said the alleged illegal modifications included ‘chhajas’ that were being used as balconies taken inside the flat, so were ‘sunk service slab’, and bathroom ducts were covered.
Ranaut had first approached the Dindoshi court in May 2018 against the notice. In October 2018, the court directed BMC to pass fresh orders after considering the actor’s reply. Two months later, the BMC filed another notice and she moved court again in January 2019.
In October 2019, she said that while the building plans were passed under the Development Control Regulations 1991, with the new DCR 2034 passed on September 2018, she was informed that “no application for regularisation or for any other purpose that may find a place in the new DCR should be entertained till October 24, 2018…as there are some final nitty gritties to be ironed out”.
The BMC affidavit submitted by H-West ward designated officer S C Khokale in September 2020 said the actor had carried out “major violations in the sanctioned plan” and BMC had “proceeded as per law”. He denied that it was a “fit case” for interim relief to be granted to Ranaut and added that she should be put to “strict proof ” to show how and what damage she would sustain. The BMC also questioned the jurisdiction of the court in entertaining her suit, barred under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act.
Last month, the HC had set aside a September 9 demolition order against alleged violations in Ranaut’s Bandra bungalow. That demolition was “actuated by mala fides”, the HC had said.
"If 65 year olds can fly or attend weddings, why not shoot films?," asks Bombay High Court
8:36 AM
Out-of-work background artiste Ayub Khan has been forced to sell vegetables in Bandra’s Behrampada. (Below) Mirror’s July 10 report on senior artistes questioning the government order
Court asks if state will take care of those rendered unemployed and show data to support age cut-off
Sharmeen Hakim (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 22, 2020)
The entertainment industry’s artistes have the Bombay High Court in their corner. The court has asked the state government, which allowed film and TV shoots to resume through its orders issued on May 30 and June 23 but barred cast and crew members aged above 65 from turning up at the locations owing to the Coronavirus pandemic, if it will take on responsibility of feeding all those affected by its diktat.“There is a commissioner (BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal) who says everything is fine in Mumbai... If they (artistes) cannot earn their daily bread, what are they supposed to do? Will the state feed all of them?” it asked, after taking up a petition filed against the government order by actor and writer Pramod Pandey, who has worked in the film industry for over 40 years.
Chahal had last week said the pandemic is close to “bottoming out” in Mumbai, suggesting that the worst is over.
Questioning the reasoning behind the government’s decision to bar senior citizens from film shoots, a division bench of justices S J Kathawalla and Riyaz Chagla on Monday asked if a similar age cut-off has been placed on those taking buses, trains and flights, and attending weddings and funerals.
The state has been directed to file a detailed affidavit by Friday, explaining how a “physically fit person who is 65 years or above is expected to live a dignified life if he is not allowed to go out and earn his livelihood”. The court also asked it if any data/ report was used to draw up the age restriction order. While senior citizens with co-morbidities are considered a vulnerable group, SARS-COV-2 can strike even young, healthy people.
Mirror had on July 10 reported that senior artistes had questioned the age cap and wondered how one’s physical fitness could be determined without examining him/her. In his petition, filed through lawyer Ashok Saraogi, Pandey said a number of India’s top administrators are aged above 65 but have not been told to stay put at home. Asserting that the entertainment industry is many artistes’ only source of income, he alleged that the government order took away their right to work and live, and left them on the brink of starvation.
The state, represented by government pleader Purnima Kantharia, disputed this claim, saying its guideline provides for casting to be done remotely via video chat apps like Facetime, Zoom or Skype. The bench scoffed at this suggestion, pointing out that “actors performing small roles are required to go to the studios” and that no producer or director would allow the provision of shooting via video calls.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)