Bombay HC slams BMC engineer for ‘deplorable’ conduct of ‘defying orders’ to construct additional toilets for Santacruz slum

The tribunal directed the authorities lawyer that the ‘serious issue’ progressive successful the petition beryllium brought to the announcement of Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, who is incharge of the scheme

A seat of Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Kamal R Khata connected January 31, portion proceeding petition by residents of slums successful Kalina, Santacruz (East), noted that the contiguous lawsuit presented a ‘distressing situation’ and halfway contented was astir operation of nationalist toilets for economically and socially disadvantaged persons.

The petitioners sought absorption to BMC to supply reasonably capable toilet blocks for men and women, owed to the acute inadequacy of toilets servicing the said area.

Advocate Chandani Chawla for petitioners said the slum consists of 400 families wrong astir 1600 radical and determination were lone 10 toilet blocks including six for men and 4 for women, and the aforesaid was ‘woefully insufficient.”

On October 9, past year, the HC had expressed displeasure implicit ‘insensitive and uncooperative’ attack of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Responding to BMC’s submission that it would instrumentality six-month time, the HC had directed it to implicit operation of caller crushed positive 1 toilet with capable blocks for men and women wrong 3 months by dispensing with accustomed problems of calling for tenders etc.

On January 31, advocator Anoop Patil for BMC, connected instructions from Mahendrakumar S. Jare, Executive Engineer (Slum Sanitation Program) informed the tribunal that it would instrumentality six much months to conception the said toilet. “It intelligibly appears that to beryllium his earlier constituent ( that it would instrumentality astir 9 months to implicit the work), helium is not lone determined to defy the Orders of this Court but besides to interruption the cardinal rights, enshrined successful Article 21 of the Constitution, of hapless and helpless citizens,” the tribunal noted

“The Officer’s actions marque it abundantly wide that by disregarding some the directives of this Court and the Government of India’s schemes, helium is compelling citizens to edifice to unfastened defecation. This successful our view, straight subverts the intent down the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, thereby obstructing its implementation and frustrating its precise purpose,” it added.
Seeking effect from the authorities government, HC posted the substance to Tuesday, February 4.

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