Mumbai: The state government has sought a report from the new Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) commissioner Manoj Suryavanshi on the decisions taken during the tenure of the previous VVCMC commissioner Anil Pawar and the alleged role of the civic body in facilitating large-scale illegal construction in the area.
Pawar is under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its probe on 41 illegal buildings in Vasai East which were demolished in February this year following court orders. He was transferred as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on July 17 and relinquished charge on July 24.
Five days later, on July 29, the ED conducted searches at 12 locations in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik including the residence of Pawar and his relatives and associates. The central agency also questioned him for over nine hours on Monday.
The same day, the new VVCMC commissioner Manoj Suryavanshi received a letter from the state’s urban development department, seeking a report on the controversial decisions taken by his predecessor.
The ED’s probe until now has revealed that Pawar had formed an organised cartel comprising VVCMC officers, architects, chartered accountants and intermediaries to facilitate large scale illegal construction within the limits of the municipal corporation. During his tenure as VVCMC chief, the “commission” or bribe amount paid by those seeking approval of building plans was fixed at ₹20-25 per square feet for Pawar, and ₹10 per square feet for junior officials.
Sources in the VVCMC said the controversial decisions taken by Pawar can only be overturned by the urban development department, which has begun collating data on his term as VVCMC chief.
Meanwhile, the general administration department has sought an explanation from Pawar on why he has not joined his new posting after relinquishing his earlier post on July 24. The department is also waiting for a report from the ED for further action against Pawar, said officials.
Pawar is a distant relative of Shiv Sena minister Dada Bhuse, whose niece was married into Pawar’s family. He was appointed VVCMC commissioner in 2022 and was nominated to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) the following year. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has alleged that Bhuse had lobbied to get Pawar appointed as VVCMC chief.
HT reached out to Pawar for his comments, but his phone was switched off.