Mumbai: BMC demolishes two ‘illegal studios’ at Madh Island

Civic officials raze Millionaire City Studio at Madh in Malad, on Tuesday

The BMC has started demolishing two studios at Madh in Malad, a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), for allegedly operating without proper permissions.

The issue was highlighted by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya in the last week of July. Though the politician alleged that there are 49 such studios, a civic official said that there are only four in all.

In a letter to the BMC chief on July 21, Somaiya claimed that some of the companies had constructed huge studios in the no-development zone at Madh, with the help of the collector's office, District Coastal Zone Management Committee, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) and fire brigade.

Somaiya requested that the matter be investigated, claiming that though permission had been given in the name of a temporary structure for six months, it was extended several times.

On August 26, Somaiya himself visited the spot along with BMC officials and again demanded action, following which the civic body initiated an investigation.

Also Read: Mumbai: BMC orders inquiry into alleged illegal film studios in Madh, Marve and Malad

The collector of Mumbai Suburban district sent a letter to the BMC on September 7, asking it to demolish Millionaire City Studio and Expression Studio at Madh, as they lacked permits from the MCZMA. The civic body then asked the studios' owners to demolish the structures themselves lest the ward office takes action.

"After the collector's letter, we issued notices to the studios and asked them to immediately tear down the structures. The owners started the demolition on Tuesday and BMC staff was present to speed up the process," said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of P North Ward.

He added that in all, there were four errant studios out of which, one, Bhatia Studio, had already been demolished by its owner. Another studio, Balaji, had moved the court, which has passed a stay order.

Somaiya tweeted on Tuesday that the demolition of illegal studios in the Madh-Marve area had started. He alleged that former guardian ministers of Mumbai Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena and Aslam Shaikh of the Congress were involved in a ‘Rs 1,000-crore studio scam'.

The leader earlier alleged that permission was granted for temporary sheds for film sets in February 2021. However, a permanent cement-concrete structure with commercial facilities came up in the area. He alleged that despite an order in July 2021 directing to raze the structure, no action was taken and the civic body gave an extension to the studio until October 2022.

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Day in September when the collector asked BMC to raze structures