Over 100 Schools In Vasai-Virar Run In Illegal Buildings Despite HC's Order

In Vasai-Virar and Nalasopara areas, 107 schools run in illegal buildings, complexes, and chawls. These illegal structures were to be bulldozed last year after the Bombay High Court (HC) ordered the destruction of these illegal structures. A senior police official from Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai Virar alleged that the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) has completely ignored the Bombay HC’s orders.

The schools being run under these illegal structures such as godowns and unauthorised buildings, were served notice from the VVCMC. The officials had installed big notices on the boards outside the premises. Those boards were taken down and a single FIR was not registered.

"A number of illegal structures under the control of the VVCMC have not yet been demolished. Politicians or their close relatives own the majority of these unlawful constructions. VVCMC personnel are afraid to follow the Bombay HC’s order because of this," said the police official.

In February 2022, the Bombay HC had ordered that the “municipal commissioner and/or the competent authority of a designated planning authority, is directed to take a review of the illegal buildings/structures in every ward and actions taken thereon, periodically between the 25th to 30th day of every month.”

“However, unpermitted construction work was done right in front of VVCMC officials,” the cop said.

The court had also stated in the order that "if an illegal and unauthorised construction is found to have persisted and/or its non-removal is assisted and/or abetted by the municipal officers or its employees for a substantial time of more than six months, the municipal commissioner shall take penal action against such erring municipal officers including lodging of prosecution under the municipal laws, in addition to the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, apart from initiating disciplinary proceedings.

On July 4, 2022, the Bombay HC  was informed that there were several structures that were illegal and were not yet demolished after the court order. "A small amount of partial demolition was done. Some buildings are still occupied, and being used for businesses," according to one activist who wished to remain unnamed.

The court was informed that schools were being run inside these illegal structures and the parents who have admitted their children to those schools were unaware of the building being illegal and to be demolished.

In order to highlight the fact that the structures are illegal and that there are orders for their demolition, the court was asked to make sure that the municipal corporation ensured that all structures facing demolition orders were listed and verified. It was also requested that suitable cautionary boards of a permanent nature be attached to the outside wall of the school.

Based on this, the Bombay HC passed an order that reads “Let notice boards alerting the public at large be fixed within a period of four weeks from today (July 4, 2022).”

"After the order was passed, VVCMC officials found 107 illegal structures in all the wards and posted notices on a few of them. However, this was only a smokescreen since after placing the boards, the local officials took photographs purely for the purpose of keeping records and demonstrating in court that the order had been followed," the activist claimed.