Patna, March 2: The civic body’s order to demolish illegal constructions at Mundeshwary Enclave at Khajpura today came as a big respite to the residents of the society.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued orders to demolish the extra floors constructed on top of the five floors in the five blocks in the approved map. It has also asked to demolish the two illegal blocks constructed on land earmarked as open space.

Municipal commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal said: “It is a violation of building byelaws. A fine of Rs 42.85 lakh has also been imposed on the builder. If he fails to pay the fine, a criminal case would be initiated.”

A criminal case is pending in the vigilance department (P/Bakarganj/PC Cum RN-7-531/2000) and the matter is sub-judice in Patna High Court (CWJC 13968/11).

Around 70 residents of Mundeshwary Enclave had staged a hunger strike in November 2011 in protest against the illegal constructions. Rajeev Ranjan Jha, the legal co-ordinator of Mundeshwary Enclave Residential Society had claimed that according to Patna Regional Development Authority (case number-PRN-5-531/2000, dated December 21, 2002) and revised sanction plan, May 18, 2005, seven blocks with G+5 apartments spread over 1,00,741sqft were sanctioned in the approved map. But the builder was constructing the sixth floor in five blocks.

The residents had alleged that an eighth block, against the approved seven, was being constructed on a land earmarked for a fountain and a children’s park. They also claimed that a G+3 commercial complex at the entrance of the society was being illegally built.