PUNE, Jan 8: The Pune Municipal Corporation's anti-encroachment squad today razed down a mezzanine floor illegally constructed and utilised for commercial purposes by builder Sanjay Gundecha at `Gundecha Residency' - a residential building at Narayan Peth. Anti-encroachment squad chief Gautam Waghchaure told reporters that nearly seven shops and offices on the illegally constructed mezzanine floor, two shops in the extended front margin of the building and toilets on the terrace admeasuring 1,500 sq ft were demolished.The plan for the construction of a six-storeyed residential building on the plot 393-A and 392-B was sanctioned in 1995. The plot area admeasured 6000 sq ft while construction of 11,000 sq ft (FSI) was permitted. However, the builder constructed a mezzanine floor 200 times more than what was permissible. Moreover the first floor which was supposed to accommodate professional offices. It instead made way for shops, Waghchaure said adding that the architect also misled the occupants by not informing them about the illegal nature of the mezzanine floor.The floor had offices like Seva Dham Trust, Sanyukt Stree Shikshan Sanstha, Venus Cable Channel - owned by corporator Deepak Mankar- Rajashree Video Centre, Kikko Beautik, Varsha Enterprises and Balaji Copiers. Moreover, two shops on the ground floor (in the extended front margin area) which encroached upon the space reserved for a post office was also pulled down after the notice was issued to the builder on October 6, 1998. Residents had also complained of the lack of parking facilities in the basement due to no ramp while the staircase also had been closed by the builder. Waghchaure said, a few, including Shiv Sena MLC Prakash Deole urged them to refrain from demolishing part of the structure. However, the squad went ahead with demolition with the assistance of 40 labourers, five hawaldars and one sub-inspector. While the case is in court, since there was no stay order, the squad went ahead with the demolition, Waghchaure said.
