Only 13,211 of 2.14 lakh RETMS complaints on illegal construction ended in demolition, RTI reply shows

The Maharashtra government dreams of turning Mumbai into Shanghai, but information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act shows that the working of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is standing in the way of that dream. The problem of illegal construction in Mumbai is growing more serious, and questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the BMC's online RETMS complaint system.

The BMC launched the online RETMS system on March 1, 2016, so that people could file complaints against illegal construction. RTI activist Shakeel Ahmed Sheikh had sought information from the encroachment removal department of the Eastern Suburbs on complaints, notices issued and demolition action taken. The information provided by the Public Information Officer and Assistant Engineer (Encroachment Removal) of the Eastern Suburbs has raised questions about the BMC's functioning.

Illegal construction has cost many lives in Mumbai. The fire at Kamala Mills Compound, the fire at Bhanu Farsan Mart, the fire at Hotel City Kinara, the collapse of the Hussaini building in Bhendi Bazaar and the collapse of the Sai Siddhi building in Ghatkopar are such incidents. They have once again made clear how necessary it is to act on unauthorised structures in time.

According to the ward-wise detailed summary count report prepared by the BMC, a total of 2,14,917 complaints were registered on the RETMS portal between March 1, 2016 and October 26, 2026. Of these, 1,16,228 were declared duplicates, leaving 98,689 genuine complaints. The demolition figures are even more worrying. Against the total complaints registered, demolition was completed in only 13,211 cases, about 6.15 per cent.

There is a need for transparency on what criteria were used to declare complaints duplicates, what the verification process was, and whether complainants were informed. Similarly, the report says demolition is required in 29,916 cases, while it has actually been carried out in only 13,211. The administration should make public what happened in the remaining cases and the current status of all cases involving demolition.

The five wards with the most complaints are as follows. L ward received 30,935 complaints, with demolition in only 637. K/East ward had 24,064 complaints and only 1,325 demolitions. M/East ward had 14,510 complaints and only 159 demolitions. P/South ward had 14,424 complaints and only 1,932 demolitions. K/West ward had 11,433 complaints and only 1,683 demolitions.

According to RTI activist Shakeel Ahmed Sheikh, the BMC's building and factory department spends about Rs 50 crore every year on action against illegal construction, police protection and other administrative arrangements. He claims more than 15,000 notices are issued every year. The ratio of demolitions is extremely low, so an account of spending and results should be made public, he said. Sheikh also alleges that in some cases only paperwork, or in his words "bogus action", is taking place.

The other figures in the report are as follows. A total of 60,332 notices were prepared and 57,521 issued. Show-cause orders (SO) numbering 31,486 were issued. Arrangements for demolition are pending in 15,318 cases and have been made in 1,387. After demolition, 3,428 notices were closed. In all, 38,098 complaints have been closed and 13,734 are awaiting closure.