Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun enforcing its 2017 notice to destroy a portion of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s Bungalow ‘Prateeksha’ for road expansion.
The BMC has notified Bachchan’s family that a section of their Pratheeksha bungalow property would be acquired for road widening on the Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg road. In addition, the BMC has directed Mumbai Suburban Collector City survey authorities to demarcate the precise section of the house necessary for the road-widening project.
Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg connects the Chandan Cinema district to Link Road, which leads to the Iskcon Temple. When questioned why the BMC’s work had been finished for all other properties but surrounding the Bollywood actor’s, Advocate Tulip Brian Miranda, Municipal Councillor said that the crucial project had been postponed.
‘The BMC had given notice to actor Amitabh Bachchan in 2017 about this situation under the road winding policy. The wall of the plot adjoining Bachchan’s bungalow was taken and drainage has been created. But Bachchan’s house has been left untouched,’ Miranda said.
She further said, ‘When the notice was issued, why was the land not taken? It belonged to a common person they would have taken it immediately under Section 299 of the Municipal Act notice that says you don’t have to wait for a second notice of appeal.’
The lawyer went on to say that she was unable to contact authorities despite numerous attempts until she threatened to go to the Lokayukta. ‘I wrote to the BMC in Feb 2021. I did not receive a reply so I had a telephonic conversation with the ward officer and wrote to the commissioner but still did not receive a reply. This is a very necessary project because there are two schools, a hospital, an ISKCON temple, and monuments in Mumbai are around. The road winding project has been suddenly stopped just because of Amitabh Bachchan’s Bungalow,’ she said.
‘I started agitation and followups in February. I am very happy that this work resumed when I said that I will go to Lokayukta if this particular order is not followed and if it notice is not consummate,’ Miranda added.
Miranda went on to say that the authorities quickly prepared a city survey and requested a new property delineation.
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