Waikar to demolish illegal part of Aarey Colony gym

Mumbai: A week after Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam exposed him, followed by Lok Ayukta Justice M L Tahaliyani’s notice, senior Shiv Sena leader and minister of state for housing Ravindra Waikar on Wednesday said he will demolish unauthorised parts of the gymnasium constructed by a trust headed by his wife.
“I had the collector’s permission for construction of a gym from local area development funds in 2013.The trust constructed a two-storey building, instead of a single-storey structure. The Aarey Colony chief officer served a demolition notice, but it was after completion of the structure. I will rectify the structure as early as possible,’’ Waikar said.
Nirupam had alleged that the trust constructed a multi-storey building in blatant violation of rules. As per rules, also, a trust set up under the MLA funds should not be headed by any family member of the legislator, but Waikar’s wife was the trust’s chairperson, he had claimed. Waikar, Mhada and slum improvement board officials, he had said, were hand-in-glove, so the structure was not demolished despite three notices.
Waikar described Nirupam’s charges as baseless. “There is no bar on a family member heading the trust. People of confidence should head the trust, therefore, my family members are part of it,’’ Waikar said.
On his partnership in Aishwarya Light Constructions and Aishwarya Avant Developers, Waikar said that in 2011, he had quit Aishwarya Light Constructions, and the Election Commission of India was informed. “In the 2014 assembly polls affidavit, I had mentioned Aishwarya Light Constructions, but after that I quit the organisation; I am yet to receive my share from the firm. I am not even remotely associated with other firms mentioned by Nirupam,’’ Waikar said.
Waikar denied he had encroached on 20 acres in Jogeshwari and constructed many rooms. “If Nirupam proves that I have taken over the land, I will quit politics. If he fails, he should step down. I am filing a defamation suit against Nirupam for making baseless allegations,’’ he said.
On slum projects in Jogeshwari and Goregaon, Waikar admitted that he had met housing and slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) officials. “As an elected representative, I am keen on a slum-free Jogeshwari. I held more than 100 meetings, there’s nothing illegal about it. I am not associated with the firms, which are in slum rehabilitation. The schemes are approved by the urban development department headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis,’’ Waikar said.
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress have urged Fadnavis to sack Waikar, as he has accepted that the gymnasium was illegal.
Nirupam said now that the minister had been caught red-handed, the CM must sack him if he does not resign. “He should be booked for illegal construction. The illegal structure must be demolished immediately,” Nirupam said.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said the CM must sack him, as he had agreed to rectify the illegal structure. “Waikar had been a corporator for over two decades. If a corporator is involved in illegal construction, he is disqualified. By the same rules, he should be disqualified. In fact, criminal proceedings should be initiated against him,” Malik said.