Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – Sharadchandra Pawar faction took out a massive protest march, targeting the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and CIDCO over the impending demolition of allegedly unauthorized constructions in several residential areas.
The march was conducted on Thursday at 10:30 AM from Gangaram Sheth Tandel Chowk in Sector 50, Palm Beach Road. Protesters marched to the NMMC headquarters before proceeding to CIDCO Bhavan.
The protest, led by NCP State President and MLC Shashikant Shinde, was intended to oppose the civic body's move to raze additional floors and extensions built by residents in localities such as Koparkhairane, Ghansoli, Airoli, Turbhe, Sanpada, and Nerul. Many of these structures belong to original residents, Mathadi workers, and beneficiaries of CIDCO's Low-Income Group (LIG) housing schemes.
According to NCP leaders, the constructions in question were carried out by families due to growing housing needs, with many homeowners having taken loans for both the original purchase and subsequent extensions. Despite this, notices for demolition have been issued in recent months, citing court orders, creating fear and unrest among residents.
MLC Shinde, who has been engaging with affected residents through public meetings, claims to have raised the issue repeatedly with the state government, NMMC, and CIDCO. Though he says the government responded positively in the past, no significant action has followed.
With demolition actions reportedly in their final stages, the NCP has organized a large-scale protest march to demand an immediate halt to the demolition process and the withdrawal of what they term as an “unjust decision.”
