No denying flats to meat eaters: Leaders

Mumbai: Scores of corporators have asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take action against builders who deny flats to people because of their eating habits (non-vegetarians who eat fish, mutton, chicken).  

However, once again, the BMC washed its hands off saying the matter is related to law and order, and comes under state government’s purview. If people come across any such incident, they should lodge a complaint with the police, civic officials said.

“The issue does not come under BMC’s ambit. As these projects are on private land, the BMC’s role is limited only up to check their technical aspects and issue approvals as per the Development Control Rules 1991, Maharashtra Regional Towing Planning Act 1966 and BMC Act 1888. Since the issue is connected to law and order, the concerned department of state government and police are expected to take the necessary action,” said BMC chief Ajoy Mehta in his written reply to the civic improvements committee.

Citing reports of some builders refusing to sell flats to people who eat non-vegetarian food, former MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande demanded that the BMC should not issue intimation of disapproval (IOD), commencement certificate (CC) and water connection to such developers. All parties, barring the BJP, had passed the proposal and sent it to the civic administration for the implementation. Last year, the civic administration had turned down the proposal saying that it does not have any provision in its rules to do so. The civic improvements committee then sent back the proposal to the DC department asking it to change its rules to incorporate the corporators’ suggestions. Mr Deshpande alleged that the Mr Mehta was trying to protect developers from a particular community by shirking his responsibility.

Corporators wanted changes in the section 337 of BMC Act 1988, or in the DC regulation, which is currently under revision to act against people who are discriminate others on the basis of their eating habits, caste or religion. Section 337 deals with the developers seeking permission from the civic body for erecting a building specifying its various details.