HC asks civic body in Navi Mumbai to compile a list of buildings without Occupancy Certificates

A bench comprising chief justice Devendra Upadhyaya and justice Amit Borkar, was listening to a petition filed by Sandeep Thakur, a social activist who said that some residential buildings in Navi Mumbai are occupied but these structures were not built as per the approved plans and they don’t have Occupancy Certificates.

Thakur based his claim after he filed a Right To Information (RTI) seeking details of whether a housing society in Nerul was given an Occupancy Certificate or not. He learnt via RTI that although the building was issued a commencement certificate, a permit issued by the civic body to start construction, it was not issued an OC. This information received by Thakur pointed to several violations in the structure. Thakur also found out that NMMC had let the architect of the building walk away after he filed a patently false completion certificate.

After this incident, Thakur filed another RTI seeking details of buildings developed in NMMC’s jurisdiction which are occupied without receiving OC. Thakur received a reply stating that the civic body does not have any information on the matter.

Thakur then approached the Bombay high court seeking directions to NMMC to compile a list of developments which are occupied without OC and those buildings violating rules must be vacated and demolished.

Thakur also seeks directives to initiate inquiries against the architects responsible for these buildings. Additionally, he calls for a high-level investigation to determine why timely action was not taken by the Navi Mumbai civic body, to identify the NMMC officials accountable for this serious oversight, and to pursue disciplinary measures against them in line with applicable regulations.

After the court’s order, the NMMC started compiling the list and to produce it before the court soon.