A person running the Hotel Aarisia, located on the plot No CTS No 1/7, 1/8 A, on Veer Savarkar Marg, Vikhroli Parksite, had applied to the state excise department for the liquor license III last year. In support of his application he had attached an Occupation Certificate related to plot No CTS No 1/7, 1/8 A, the certificate issued by the Executive Engineer of the BMC “N” ward, an NOC from Fire Brigade and electricity bills.
However the lease agreement, hotel license from the BMC’s health department, fire safety certificate and shop and establishment certificate attached by the applicant to his application, carried the name as-Kailash Banquet, C.T.S.no.1/9A/1B. The important aspect is that the said plot is an open plot located at Ghatkopar.
Although the documents carried two different CTS numbers, the state excise department issued two liquor licenses to the applicant without verifying the documents. Since permission was given to start a bar on the plot reserved for workers’ canteen, a local resident Manohar Jariyal lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of the State Excise.
In his complaint Jariyal pointed out that different details of the plot were submitted to obtain the liquor licenses by the applicant. In view of Jariyal’s complaint, the excise department has now asked the applicant to find the mistake in the certificates issued by the BMC mentioning the same CTS numbers in two documents rectified within two months. If the mistake is not rectified, the liquor licenses issued to the applicant will be revoked, Superintendent Snehlata Shrikar of the State Excise department (Mumbai suburban) has informed the complainant Manohar Jariyal.
Now this fraud has come to the fore. However, according to those related to the issue, several such licenses have been issued by the state excise department without verifying the land title. Will the officers of the state excise department, probe such cases?
The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Sprouts has asked. How did the excise officials issue the licenses for the proposed bar located on BMC’s reserved plot ? How are those responsible for verifying the title of the plot recommended for issuance of the liquor licenses ? such questions are being raised.
When contacted for clarification, BMC’s DMC Zone VI Devidas Kshirsagar did not respond to the phone calls.
“The liquor licenses were issued by the excise department, based on the documents issued by the BMC. After noticing the errors in the documents issued by the BMC to the Hotel Aaricia, our department inquired into the matter. Now the hotel owner has been asked to get the mistake rectified from the BMC before December 31, 2021. Besides, an inquiry will be held on January 03,2022 in the office of the District Collector” Snehlata Shrikar, Superintendent, State Excise Department.
“ Since the hotel has been located on the plot reserved for workers’ canteen, the documents related to that plot were submitted by the hotel owner for obtaining the liquor licenses. The inquiry should be conducted against the BMC officers giving clearance and those not verifying the same”- Manohar Jariyal, Local resident.
A mess in BMC’s documents
The BMC has issued the occupation certificate and Fire Brigade NOC based on the original plot of the owner. Whereas, the permission from the health department, Fire safety certificate was issued based on the plot reserved for workers’ canteen. As such the local residents have demanded an inquiry into the entire episode.
