Disqualified corporators knock high court door over civic body’s action

THANE: The three corporators, Shailesh Patil (MNS), Ram Egde (Shiv Sena) and Manohar Salvi (NCP), who were disqualified by the civic commissioner early this month for their active involvement in building and protecting illegal structures have approached the Bombay High Court that will hear their case on December 1.
Civic chief, Sanjeev Jaiswal, on November 3, had ordered an immediate disqualification of these three TMC corporators after a quasi-judicial probe revealed their active involvement in building and protecting illegal structures in the city. The action was taken on by the commissioner using his discretionary powers under section 10(1) D of the Maharashtra Municipal Act.
All the three corporators had independently approached the Mumbai High Court and filed a writ petition regarding the same. “We approached the High Court following the commissioner’s decision to disqualify our post. The case will now be heard on December 1,” informed one of the three corporators. The court will hear the matter on December 1.Meanwhile, it has also directed the TMC to not take any steps in filling up the post of Shailesh Patil, informed an official from the legal department of the TMC.
While Patil, who represents the Diva ward had illegally constructed a structure on his own land, Egde who represents the Khopat ward had reportedly purchased a property in the name of his wife. NCP corporator from Kalwa, Manisha Nagar had reportedly prevented an evacuation drive from an illegal building and also assaulted a civic official.
The issue was raised in the general body few times but no action was taken following which a hearing was taken in the commissioner’s cabin on Monday and a decision taken the next day. Following the orders, a notification was sent from the municipal commissioner’s office to the election department. This is believed to be the first such action in the recent history of TMC that such disqualification of elected representatives has been ordered by the municipal commissioner.