The Vigilant Citizens’ Forum has served a legal notice to CIDCO, accusing the planning authority of misusing public funds on a parking facility situated on land it does not legally own.
Citing information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the forum revealed that the parking lot located in front of CIDCO's headquarters in Belapur is being operated on land that has not been formally acquired by CIDCO. "This raises serious questions over the civic body’s authority to spend taxpayer money on the said facility," said a member of the group.
When the forum sought details of expenses incurred on the parking area, records showed that CIDCO had spent approximately ₹25 lakh on its development and maintenance. Terming this a violation of administrative rules, the forum—through Advocate Sushant Joshi—has issued a legal notice demanding that CIDCO furnish valid proof of ownership for the land within 15 days.
The notice cautions that if CIDCO fails to establish its ownership rights, legal action should be taken against the officials responsible for authorizing the expenditure. The forum has insisted that such unauthorized use of public funds amounts to financial misconduct under administrative law and warrants strict accountability. CIDCO refrained to comment on the matter.
