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Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation, said the building was illegally constructed in 2004 and the corporation began imposing tax on residents from 2006. Twenty-eight families were residing there and there were seven shops on the ground floor. In all, around 125 people lived in the building.

“We will register criminal charges against the builder Shakeel Shaikh,” Malvi said adding that the corporation did not take any tough action against the building till date.

The buildings in the Banno Complex are clustered with hardly any space between two buildings. The No 5 building collapsed on the B 3 building adjoining it. The corporation evacuated the adjoining buildings to prevent further accidents.

Khalil Shaikh, a resident, said: “The foundation of the building was affected due to continuous flow of nullah water. One month ago, we had a meeting with the builder and a quotation was given to get the building repaired. The charge was decided at Rs 130 per square feet. However, the building collapsed before the work could start.”

Residents, who lost their homes in the collapse, will be shifted to MMRDA’S rental homes at Vartak Nagar in Thane. Santosh Kadam, disaster management officer, said: “Nearly 200 people from the fire brigade, civil defence, National Disaster Response Force, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and disaster management cell of TMC are working hard to find if there are survivors trapped under the debris. However, the access road to the building is so narrow that we are not able to operate the machines, trucks or fire engines freely. Only one vehicle can enter at a time.” MUMBAI: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan held a review meeting on Navi Mumbai’s pending infrastructure and housing projects late on Friday at the behest of its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

NCP had sought this meeting with Chavan to resolve pending issues of the satellite city, considered as the party’s stronghold.

This is the first time after their public spat that Chavan and NCP chief Sharad Pawar came face to face at a meeting the outcome of which indicated a thawing of relations between the two parties.

“This meeting was pending for a long time. NCP is keen on getting certain issues resolved, especially regularisation of illegal construction, implementation of local body tax and infrastructure projects before the elections,” said a NCP functionary.

He said Pawar had sent a clear signal to Chavan that certain pending issues of party strongholds should be addressed before the 2014 polls. With Congress and NCP contesting the elections as an alliance, the partners have to make amends and move forward, he said.

NCP also presented an infrastructure master plan prepared by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) estimated at Rs 12,821.7 crore to the chief minister seeking assistance of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), both led by Chavan, to implement it.

NMMC wants the two agencies to take up some projects such as internal metro and flyovers besides lending Rs 900 crore for the plan.

“Chavan asked MMRDA and CIDCO to examine the plan and see how they could assist the city corporation,” said an official who did not want to be named.

There are nearly 2.5 lakh illegal constructions in Navi Mumba and NCP is keen on regularising this through cluster redevelop ment. Chavan asked officials to present a feasibility plan on this in three months.

State minister Ganesh Naik minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir, legislator Sandeep Naik, mayor Sagar Naik along with senior officials including additional chief secretary AK Jain, secretary of urban devel opment department Manu Kumar Srivastava and metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan were present at the meeting.

“There are ten issues on the agenda including implementa tion of local body tax, redevelop ment of slums and gaothans,” said a senior official requesting anonymity.