Bureaucrats get notices over Adarsh flats

The Maharashtra government has sent notices to bureaucrats and their kin owning flats in the controversial building Adarsh, in south Mumbai asking them to explain their source of funds to acquire flats in the building.

According to Mantrayala sources, several bureaucrats, including senior IAS officials, have been asked to explain the source of their funds and also explain their alleged breach of conduct of civil service rules.

Among officials who have been issued notices are former BMC commissioner Jairaj Phatak, former urban development secretary Ramanand Tiwari, former urban development deputy secretary P V Deshmukh, and former chief secretatary, D K Shankaran. Children of these officials are flat owners in Adarsh.

According to the sources the officials, have been asked whether the government had been informed about the flat purchase and the source of funds.

The development comes amidst reports that politicians, defence officers and senior bureaucrats had colluded to corner flats in the building.

In November, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), revoked the housing society's occupation certificate even as the civic body cut off power and water supply, with the society failing to submit the necessary papers.

The building has been built on a 6,490 sq mt plot in the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) II. The society, initially promoted to house Kargil war veterans and widows, but has been at the centre of an ugly controversy in connection with violation of environmental and other norms and misuse of the land it was granted.

There is a growing demand in various quarters for razing down the structure, especially on security considerations as many army and navy installations on Mumbai coast can be seen from the high rise structure.