Corporators demand rule change for redevelopment rights for villages ‘Get new officer, revive CIVIC SCHOOLCHILDREN YET TO GET UNIFORM, BAGS dying health dept’

An automobile dealer and his insurer have been asked by Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal to pay Rs44.74 lakh to a woman and her two children for the death of her husband in a road accident in 2013.

MACT chairman and principal district judge SM Gavhane directed Asset Auto Pvt Ltd, Dimapur, Nagaland (as the offending car was registered in Nagaland), owned by Parvinder Singh, and Bharti AXA General Insurance Company to jointly and severally make the payment to the claimants with 9 per cent interest from May 2013.

On March 2, 2013, Gorakh Jadhav (aged around 55) was walking on a road at Nerul in Navi Mumbai when the opponent’s BMW hit him. Jadhav sustained injuries and died on way to hospital.

An offence of rash and negligent driving was registered against the vehicle driver with Nerul police, said the claimants — Jadhav’s widow Sharda Gorakh Jadhav, 49, and children Anil Gorakh, 25, and Arpana, 23 — in their application before the MACT.

The claimants’ advocate, G A Vinod, informed the MACT that Jadhav was working with the BEST as an office assistant and drawing monthly salary of around Rs50,000.

They sought a compensation of Rs53.55 lakh along with 18 per cent interest from the two respondents. However, the respondents contended that the deceased’s two children were major and cannot be said to be dependent on him. The deceased himself was negligent in crossing the road, they said.

The judge noted that though it is a case of both the opponents that the accident took place due to negligence of the deceased and there was no negligence of driver of the offending car, they have adduced no evidence to substantiate this contention.

An adverse inference can be drawn against both the opponents that the accident took place due to rash and negligent driving of the car driver, and that there was no negligence of the deceased, the judge observed. He was awarded a compensation of Rs44,74,928.

The NMMC standing committee on Wednesday demanded that the civic body not insist on 100% consent for redevelopment permission for dilapidated CIDCO structures as announced by municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.

The SC also demanded redevelopment rights in villages and nearby areas without property proof demanded by the civic body.

The issue was raised by corporator Deepak Pawar who stated, “The civic body is not ready to accept a report by the IIT declaring buildings dangerous and granting it redevelopment permission. The same body however accepts the IIT report on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan and decides against marble cladding. For Why the dual policy?”

Stated joint director of town planning department of NMMC, Sunil Hazare, “There are two different issue to the matter. A building is first declared as dangerous under the BPMC Act by the civic body.”

He added, “In case of redevelopment, there is an issue of granting additional FSI. A special committee crosschecks the eligibility of redevelopment project for the dilapidated building. If it fits the bill, then permission is granted.”

When standing committee chairman raised the issue of 100% consent of members being demanded for redevelopment instead of the 70% demanded earlier, Hazare said, “There was confusion on the issue. The government order said that the societies or apartments owners or developers apply for redevelop, 70% consent will be required. But the same rule went ahead and stated that the consent should be as per Apartment Owners Act which asks for unanimous consent.”

He said, “The chief minister has said in the assembly just a couple of days back that he plans to bring the consent requirement of 70% down to 51% while NMMC is still stuck with 100% refusing to even acknowledge the chief minister.”

Hazare said the civic body has not received any official directions on it.

The health department of NMMC was taken to task in the standing committee meeting of NMMC on Wednesday over its false promises and poor services. The SC chairman Shivram Patil that NMMC appoint a new officer in place of the current incumbent to oversee the health department, alleging that he has failed over the years in his duties.

Said Shiv Sena corporator Prashant Patil, “It is the poor who mostly come to NMMC hospitals. They are prescribed medicines which are not available in the NMMC hospital pharmacy. They are forced to spend huge amounts on getting them from private pharmacies.”

NMMC assistant medical officer of health Dr Deepak Paropkari said, “We have 425 medicines in stock. Only those medicines that are rare are not stocked.”

Patil said, “The administration should get a new officer to revive the dying health department.”

Additional municipal commissioner Ankush Chavan then stated, “It was discussed in the SC and the assurance was made for three such stores. We will get the factual details to confirm whether what Paropkari has said is right and inform the SC next week.”