Illegal bars, rooms of lodges razed in Bhayandar
Neither it’s a business hub, nor a tourist destination but still Mira Bhayandar has earned the notorious tag of having scores of lodges in the region.
However the Thane (rural) SP Dr. Mahesh Patil along with Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) chief Dr. Naresh Gite, legislator Narendra Mehta and Mayor Dimple Mehta, have finally rolled up the sleeves to get rid of illegally constructed bars, lodges and hookah joints in the region.
Three lodges with attached bars in the illegally occupied extensions were demolished in a day long operation on Wednesday.
The massive action has sent shockwaves among owners of other illegally constructed establishments which were destroying the moral fabric of the society-especially the younger generation who were falling prey to immoral activities.
To begin with, a demolition squad led by city engineer Shivaji Barkund demolished three lodges, Hotel Jaya Mahal, Hotel Golden Residency, Om Sai, and an equal number of bars – Buntas, Aqua Restro Bar in Bhayandar (east) that were attached to the establishments.
While the extensions of the bars were completely razed to ground, the MBMC team demolished multiple illegally constructed rooms in the shady lodges which were allegedly letoff to couples on an hourly basis.
As many as 100 civic personnel accompanied by more than 50 cops led by Sr. PI Ram Bhalsingh and two JCB machines were assigned the job.
While most of the lodges which are located adjacent ladies bars facilitate prostitution activities, some of them have sprung up without adequate permission from the civic body. And those who managed to secure sanctions have carried out blatant structural changes to convert the premises into multiple miniature rooms to carry out their nefarious activities.