📷 Image: The Hindu (via NewsData)
National
SC freezes BMC Chief's salary; 27 shops on Borivali plot demolished
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 08:50 AM
👁 2
The Supreme Court has ordered the withholding of BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide-Maske's salary and her staff's pay due to non-compliance with earlier directives to clear land in Borivali, where 27 shops were subsequently demolished.
The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern directive regarding the non-compliance of orders to clear a specific plot in Borivali, Mumbai. A bench led by the Chief Justice of India ordered that the salary of BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide-Maske, along with the remuneration of her personal staff, be withheld pending full compliance with earlier judicial directions.
The legal action stems from the failure to clear the land intended for the construction of a BEST bus station. In response to the court's mandate, authorities proceeded to demolish 27 shops that were illegally occupying the designated plot. The demolition was carried out to ensure the land is made available for the public transport infrastructure project.
The bench emphasized the necessity of strict adherence to court orders, linking the financial penalty directly to the administrative delay in clearing the encroachments. The withholding of salaries is intended to serve as a measure of accountability for the non-execution of the clearance order.
This development highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding urban development and public transport infrastructure in Mumbai. The court's intervention aims to expedite the completion of the BEST bus station, which has been pending due to disputes over the site's occupancy.
The legal action stems from the failure to clear the land intended for the construction of a BEST bus station. In response to the court's mandate, authorities proceeded to demolish 27 shops that were illegally occupying the designated plot. The demolition was carried out to ensure the land is made available for the public transport infrastructure project.
The bench emphasized the necessity of strict adherence to court orders, linking the financial penalty directly to the administrative delay in clearing the encroachments. The withholding of salaries is intended to serve as a measure of accountability for the non-execution of the clearance order.
This development highlights the ongoing legal battles surrounding urban development and public transport infrastructure in Mumbai. The court's intervention aims to expedite the completion of the BEST bus station, which has been pending due to disputes over the site's occupancy.