MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Thursday came down hard on the Maharashtra Government over the delay in demolishing illegal private structures along the beachfront at Alibaug in Raigad district while asking them reasons for hesitation in bulldozing the structures.
The state informed a bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice N M Jamdar that it was yet to demolish many such structures owing to several injunction orders passed by the lower courts, protecting such properties.
According to the submissions made by the state on June 4, a total of 159 properties have been served demolition notices by the Alibaug district authorities as they violated construction and coastal zone norms. Of these, 24 structures have already been demolished, while 111 properties have obtained orders requiring status quo to be maintained.
The state’s counsel Manish Pable told the HC that some applications seeking the status quo orders be vacated had been dismissed. The court directed the state to demolish properties that do not have any protective orders in their favour. within eight weeks.