DMC Balamvar threatens activist at Lokshahi Din for complaining on official email id & phone!

damaged slab and illegal staircase construction

Mumbai, 24thJuly 2012: Beware Mumbai citizens! Think twice before complaining against illegal building activity to MCGM’s officers on their official email id and mobile numbers, or they may threaten to book you under cyber-crime laws! Also be careful if they invite you to meet them with your complaint on Lokshahi Din, because they may land you in trouble! Your efforts in bringing the illegal activities to the attention of the authorities may not be appreciated; far from it! After a tongue-lashing, you may well be scrambling to save your skin from the cybercrime police, for the cyber-crime of emailing a complaint!

state-bank-india-juhu-Slab-Punctured-Staircase outside state bank of India JuhuOn Monday 15th July, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vijay Balamvar sent this message to citizens loud and clear in his office at his Lokshahi Din (which ironically means, “the day when the citizen is king”). Advocate Sunil Tiwari, who had waited patiently outside his office from 3.30 till 5.15, was asked why he had sent complaints and building photographs to his email id (DMC.z4@mcgm.gov.in) and to his mobile phone (9820702619) on Whatsapp, was asked to produce documents to prove that he was actually an advocate! The DMC refused point-blank to even talk about Adv. Tiwari’s complaint about the illegal alteration (breaking the ground-floor slab to install a stairway) of a Juhu building by State Bank of India, photos attached) causing a danger of building collapse, and instead asked Tiwari what right he had to clog his official email and his mobile phone with complaints and photos of the building.

“Are you living in that building? How are you affected by the alterations being made? If you are not living in that building, what right have you to send me such messages? I want you to delete the email, the message you sent me from my mailbox and phone. Will you do that? Otherwise, I will complain to cyber-crime police, and look at what action to take against you under the cyber-laws,” he allegedly said. Adv Sunil Tiwari (9820702619) was shaken and indignant at the end of this unexpected turn of events, to say the least!

damaged slab and illegal staircase construction

Sunil’s friend and mentor in activism, RTI Activist Sulaiman Bhimani (9323642081), who is an interior designer, remarks that this reveals the nexus between commercial interests who make illegal alternations in buildings, and BMC’s officers, who knowingly look the other way. “Memories of recent building collapses are fresh in the minds of Mumbaikar, especially those who lost their near and dear ones due to the greed of someone. Many of the buildings collapsed due to illegal and unauthorized structural changes made on ground floor. MCGM engineers fail to take cognizance of such activities and they turn nelson eyes to such rampant illegal changes the reasons best known to them. And it seems that citizens who complain against such corruption and malpractices are intimidated by Municipal officials, who should be protecting the citizens instead of protecting such unlawful elements! If Mr Balamvar does not take cognizance of Adv. Tiwari’s complaint on a serious matter concerning common people’s lives, and instead, can talk arrogantly like this to an advocate, imagine how he would be dealing with poor people who approach him with grievances and complaints! And, if their official phones and email addresses – which is paid for with taxpayer money — cannot be used for sending complaints, what will the citizens do?” asks Bhimani.

 

Although the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and others are used to routinely receive complaints from irate citizens, one doubts that anybody has threatened citizens with action under cyber-crime laws! But evidently, this Deputy Municipal Commissioner wants to set a precedent and firmly show citizens their place!

Says Corporator Dilip Patel, BJP group leader in MCGM and member of MMRDA committee (was cc-ed in almost all the complaints that Sunil Tiwari sent to MCGM), “I phoned and asked Balamvar about this altercation with Adv. Sunil, whom I have met. Balamvar replied that he would explain everything to me personally, and so, I will be meeting him tomorrow. Let us see what he says.”

 

Meanwhile, Adv Tiwari has written to CM Prithviraj Chavan and others to suspend DMC Balamwar, Asst commissioner K/West ward and the concerned engineers, and to check their call records to reveal their nexus.

 

DOWNLOADS FOR MEDIA:

1)      Adv Sunil Tiwari’s  complaint  against UNAUTHORIZED CIVIL WORK: http://tinyurl.com/complaint-x-SBI-Juhu

2)      Publishable photo of SBI Juhu from outside: http://tinyurl.com/SBI-Juhu

3)      Full text of Tiwari’s complaint against DMC Vijay Balamvar, sent by email & speedpost to CM, Municipal Commissioner etc: http://tinyurl.com/complaint-x-DMC-Balamvar

 

Far from being cowed down, we urge the common man to register their complaints (and also their protest against such bad behavior by civic officials) on their email ids – official or otherwise – and also their mobile phones!

 

Warmly,

Krishnaraj Rao

RTI Activist

9821588114

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2 thoughts on “DMC Balamvar threatens activist at Lokshahi Din for complaining on official email id & phone!”

  1. Dear sir

    मेरा नाम आशीष सिंह है मैं अभी कोका कोला कम्पनी में PSR की POST पे काम कर रहा हु !
    मेरे जैसे और भी बहुत लड़को ने 2012 में ASSMENT EXJAM दिया था अपनी कम्पनी में लेकिन आज भी उसका RESULT नहीं आया !
    हम लोग जब क़भी भी अपने HR या GSM को पूछते है ओ बोलते है की DURGEAH SIR ने रोका है जो हमारी MH ,MP & GOA के GM है हम लोग चाहते है सर की आप उनसे से इस बारे में 1 प्रष्न पूछे की ये RESULT कब तक आएगा
    सर आपकी बहुत कृपा होगी

    आशीष सिंह
    9075623156

  2. Rajaram R. Yadav

    I had given multiple complaints in R-North Ward to BMC regarding the illegal construction of multi-stored chawls which was done with the blessings of officials of R-North ward and the local corporator. Instead of taking action against the illegal constructions, one of the official of BMC viz. Mr. Rahul Kumbhar (J.E) with a aim to victimised me, filed a false case of Factory under Section 390 of BMC Act against me. The Officials of BMC are actually using the Court as tool to harsh and victimise those who complain against illegal activities.

    This is one of the e-mail which was send to BMC but still no action has taken place.

    From: arya yadav
    Date: Tue, May 6, 2014 at 7:41 PM
    Subject: Fwd: complaint against illegal construction activity
    To: mc@mcgm.gov.in, Sudhir Naik , dmc.z7@mcgm.gov.in, dmc.re@mcgm.gov.in

    Hi,
    In-spite of the complaints , I regret to inform you that no action has still been taken against the reported illegal construction. I just fail to understand whether there is any sense of responsibility prevailing in the BMC or not? If you people don’t want to take actions against illegal construction then why the farce? Why the victimisation of some, for deeds which has been made as norm for most?

    Please do something.

    regards

    ———- Forwarded message ———-
    From: arya yadav
    Date: Sat, May 3, 2014 at 10:22 AM
    Subject: complaint against illegal construction activity
    To: mc@mcgm.gov.in, sudhirnk5@gmail.com, dmc.z7@mcgm.gov.in, dmc.re@mcgm.gov.in

    Hi,
    I would like to make a complaint against illegal construction work. I have already made a complaint through your helpline no. 1916 and the complaint number registered is 0721758991.

    Normally, it has been observed by me, that such complaints are thrown in thrash bins but i still hope some sense will prevail and action will at-least be initiated by your respective department. I have lost hope with the R-North Municipal office, as most of the times , they are not concerned (for obvious reasons).

    The address of the illegal construction site is :
    Tejal Jayesh Dalal , Next to Sreenath General Stores, Near Floor Mill, Soorajbali Singh Chawl, Bhavani Chowk, Ambawadi, S.V.Road, Dahisar(E), Mumbai – 400 0068.

    regards

    Ramesh Yadav

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