Awaiting inauguration for the past several years, the court building in Mira Road seems to have become a hunting ground for petty thieves. The matter came to light after officials from the state public works department recently visited the site and found electrical fittings and fixtures needed to install air-conditioners worth more than Rs.55,000 missing from the unguarded premises. This apart from taps and aluminium window frames.
In her complaint to the Mira Road police, assistant engineer (PWD)-Rupal Bhallavi has stated that the thefts had apparently been committed on various occasions between January to December this year, raising a serious question mark on the efficiency of authorities towards securing government-owned properties. An offence under section 305(d) of the Bhartiya Nya Sanhita (BNS) for theft was registered at the Mira Road police station against the unidentified thieves on Saturday.
Notably, the areas surrounding the court building are frequented by junkies who are believed to be involved in the thefts. After the government gave its nod for setting up the court in 2013, it took seven years for the structure to be completed on a plot admeasuring around 4,353 square meters reserved for the purpose in Hatkesh area of Mira Road and another three years for the final touches including interiors, furniture, fixture, and other residual works.
Although the structure stands completed for the past several months, the staffing pattern for recruitment of employees and budgetary allocations for the smooth functioning of the court had been stuck up in bureaucratic red tape.
