Mumbai: A civic action plan against illegal multi-storey slum structures has become a political hot potato. Multiple parties, including BJP, which has the majority in the BMC House, have pushed back against a three-month special drive set to begin on Oct 1 targeting 39,111 structures 14ft and taller in slums across the city and the suburbs.While the opposition has labelled the drive “anti-poor”, BJP functionaries have said the BMC administration made the announcement without first consulting corporators.Activists cautioned that objections to the drive could be interpreted as political patronage for illegal slums. “Instead of backing the administration’s attempt to remove illegal structures, all parties are pressuring it and protecting slums. Many ground-floor slum structures have already been regularised. If first-floor ones are tolerated too, the city will soon have slum skyscrapers,” said an activist.Opposition parties already claimed a small win. City Congress chief MP Varsha Gaikwad said BMC chief Ashwini Bhide clarified during a meeting with her on Monday that BMC administration has not issued any order to undertake demolition of the 39,111 huts. “She made it clear that BMC is only conducting routine actions,” claimed Gaikwad.A statement was sought from the civic administration at BMC’s general body meeting in the afternoon over the proposed action on slum structures, but mayor Ritu Tawde adjourned the meeting since Bhide did not turn up for it.The heat on the issue also prompted Tawde, who is from BJP, to oppose the drive. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray accused BJP of “trying to save its skin” under pressure. “The BJP-appointed mayor, who is leading BMC, put forward a proposal from the very same BMC to demolish all unauthorised homes/slums taller than 14ft. However, now, the mayor is opposing the very same proposal. How utterly bizarre and shameful this is—that you yourselves don’t even know what’s going on.” He alleged that BJP wanted to push some slums towards “certain builder friends” and the demolition drive was in pursuit of this purpose.His party corporators, led by leader of opposition Kishori Pednekar, demanded that the operation be called off immediately on humanitarian grounds in view of the festive season. In a letter to Bhide, Pednekar pointed to various SC and HC judgments which state that no person can be deprived of a residential house without being given an alternative house or rehabilitation.Mumbai BJP chief MLA Ameet Satam hit back at Thackeray, saying he had woken up too late. He, however, also trained the guns on the civic administration. He called the drive a “thoughtless decision which is uncalled for, without application of mind and without discussing with elected representatives”. “The state govt has taken many initiatives to execute various slum rehabilitation schemes, including cluster schemes, to make Mumbai slum-free. There is no need for BMC to intervene and cause inconvenience to poor Mumbaikars residing in informal settlements. BJP’s leader of House Ganesh Khankar has already given a letter asking BMC not to go ahead with any demolition,” he said.A former municipal commissioner said nine months since the civic elections, BJP and the BMC administration are still not in sync and there is a lack of consultation in the administrative and deliberative wing. “All policy decisions that have a pan-Mumbai impact must be discussed with group leaders and the governing party. BMC is a democratic institution and can’t be run by officers like a project-driven organisation. There have been several such instances and this shows there are communication and coordination gaps.”
