Suresh Wadkar usurped our garden, allege residents
Residents of Santacruz-based Primrose Society, all retired IRS officers, have accused the singer of concretising a plot that was reserved for a garden. Wadkar says he has only beautified it.
Residents of Primrose Society in Santacruz have accused singer Suresh Wadkar of encroaching on a 1,800 sq mt plot abutting the colony. The residents have said that the plot was set aside for a garden, but Wadkar has concreted the portion of the land.
Primrose Society is a six-storey building, exclusively housing retired Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officers. The dispute with Wadkar goes back to the 1990s, a few years after the state had allotted land to construct the society. Wadkar had also been allotted land in the vicinity to set up a music academy, and the residents have approached the Collector’s office and BMC several times alleging encroachment by the singer.
He added that he received a letter from the talati’s office, to which he has already replied. “I urge the Collector to address the issue so that we are not targeted any further,” he said.
Not a new problem
Residents said that they have been repeatedly approaching the Collector’s office and BMC to resolve the matter. A resident, V M Doiphode, said that they might move the high court. “We will wait for the Collector’s reply. If there is still no solution, we will be forced to move the high court citing misuse of open spaces,” he said.
According to a complaint submitted to the district Collector, residents said the plot, situated between their society and Wadkar’s academy, has been reserved for recreation purposes. “However, it has been completely concretised and used by Wadkar as a car park and for commercial purposes,” the letter said.
One of the residents, R K Thawani, said: “A few trees have been planted for the sake of it, but we demand that the plot be converted into a proper garden so that we can also use it. Currently, it is used by the students at Wadkar’s academy and also by those studying at a school being run on his premises. We too have a right to use the plot.”
Interestingly, the suburban district Collector, Shekhar Channe, said that he hasn’t received any complaint from residents against Wadkar, but promised to look into the matter. Meanwhile, a letter issued to the society in 1996 by the chief engineer, (Development Plan) said that the plot had been allotted to Wadkar for development and maintenance; however, the recreational garden will have to be made accessible to all the sub-plot holders.
Residents of Primrose Society in Santacruz have accused singer Suresh Wadkar of encroaching on a 1,800 sq mt plot abutting the colony. The residents have said that the plot was set aside for a garden, but Wadkar has concreted the portion of the land.
Primrose Society is a six-storey building, exclusively housing retired Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officers. The dispute with Wadkar goes back to the 1990s, a few years after the state had allotted land to construct the society. Wadkar had also been allotted land in the vicinity to set up a music academy, and the residents have approached the Collector’s office and BMC several times alleging encroachment by the singer.
Wadkar admitted to the construction on the plot, but said he had merely beautified the plot, and that too with necessary permissions in place. Calling the complaints a ploy to trouble him, Wadkar told Mumbai Mirror, “We concretised the garden only to ensure the children from our academy and from a school on the premises could play safely. Cars are parked here when children are not using the premises, and even Primrose residents park their vehicles here but we have never raised objections. The place would be frequented by drug addicts but we put an end to that and beautified the plot. We have all permissions in place, including constructing a temple.”
He added that he received a letter from the talati’s office, to which he has already replied. “I urge the Collector to address the issue so that we are not targeted any further,” he said.
Not a new problem
Residents said that they have been repeatedly approaching the Collector’s office and BMC to resolve the matter. A resident, V M Doiphode, said that they might move the high court. “We will wait for the Collector’s reply. If there is still no solution, we will be forced to move the high court citing misuse of open spaces,” he said.
According to a complaint submitted to the district Collector, residents said the plot, situated between their society and Wadkar’s academy, has been reserved for recreation purposes. “However, it has been completely concretised and used by Wadkar as a car park and for commercial purposes,” the letter said.
One of the residents, R K Thawani, said: “A few trees have been planted for the sake of it, but we demand that the plot be converted into a proper garden so that we can also use it. Currently, it is used by the students at Wadkar’s academy and also by those studying at a school being run on his premises. We too have a right to use the plot.”
Interestingly, the suburban district Collector, Shekhar Channe, said that he hasn’t received any complaint from residents against Wadkar, but promised to look into the matter. Meanwhile, a letter issued to the society in 1996 by the chief engineer, (Development Plan) said that the plot had been allotted to Wadkar for development and maintenance; however, the recreational garden will have to be made accessible to all the sub-plot holders.
