Illegal temple destroyed by CIDCO in Navi Mumbai
CIDCO has taken a strong stand against illegal constructions keeping aside people’s religious sentiments. They have gone ahead and destroyed Varad Vinayak temple, which was constructed in an illegal spot located near Sector 4A in Koparkhairane. The event took place in the wee morning hours of January 9.
Defending the razing act, Anil Patil, CIDCO’s chief controller of unauthorized construction, said, “The place where the temple was located was allotted to Manav Sadhan Vikas Sanstha two-three months back. The Manas Sadhan Vikas Sanstha was the owner of the plot, so it was necessary to vacate the place.”
The place had first come to the notice of CIDCO in 2011 and the premise owners were issued notices to vacate the premises. Usually, CIDCO allocates plots of land for building temples, but in this case space was not given to the locals, even after persistent requests of the residents.
There was a tussle going on between NMMC and CIDCO for the last seven to eight years for the same plot of land. Suresh Saldaar, a corporate, said, “The temple was there since many years. There was a lot of space for parking. We also held various programs and weddings at the temple. CIDCO handed over the place to the organization instead of giving it to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). In 2003, NMMC had even asked for the plot.” He further alleged, “There was a political matter; Cidco wanted to have more money so they did not give that place to NMMC.”
It seems CIDCO is firmly intent on rapid development of Navi Mumbai without taking into consideration the aspirations of the local population.
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