MMRDA

Pravin Darade

FDA

Malabar Hill

Pallavi Darade

British-era bungalow

BMC

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Indian Administrative Service officer

Topofficialand his wife Pallavi, who heads, secure state’s nod to retainbungalow till his retirement, which works out to be 2028.Two top bureaucrats, Pravin Darade and his wife, have refused to vacate a sea-facing,owned by thein Malabar Hill, setting off a row over the allotment.The BMC, which is looking for a new mayoral residence, had issued an eviction notice to the couple in September saying the allotment, which the state government had secured for them three years ago, was not appropriate. But it quickly faced resistance from the Darades and the government, which said they should not be asked to leave till Pravin retires or pay rent.Pravin, who is close to, is anof the 1998 batch. He is currently posted as an additional metropolitan commissioner in the development body MMRDA. Pallavi, an Indian Revenue Service officer of the 1997 batch, heads the Food and Drug Administration.The BMC assigned the bungalow in Pravin’s name in December 2014 when he was a secretary to Fadnavis and Pallavi had just joined the civic body. Only municipal employees can be provided accommodation in BMC properties, but the civic body was forced to ignore its own rules after the state’s General Administration Department issued an order.Nearly three years on, the department has intervened again. In a letter sent last week, it informed BMC chief Ajoy Mehta that the couple would continue to occupy the bungalow till Pravin is posted in Mumbai or till he retires. Pravin’s IAS term ends in 2028. In official records, he continues to be a secretary to Fadnavis.“According to the state government’s order dated December 31, 2014, this bungalow has been allotted to Pravin Darade till he is posted in Mumbai and or he is in service,” Shyamlal Goyal, additional chief secretary, GAD, stated in the letter.He added: “There is no question of Darade vacating the bungalow or paying penal rent. In the current situation, the BMC must not issue any notice to Darade without permission from the GAD.”The government is blocking the eviction attempt even though both Pravin and Pallavi are eligible for comfortable digs from MMRDA and Food and Drug Administration. Its stand has complicated the matters for the BMC, which is searching for a new official residence for Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.In a letter to additional chief secretary Mukesh Khullar, Mehta pointed out that two additional municipal commissioners, Vijay Singhal and Abasaheb Jarad, also didn’t have BMC accommodation. Singh, in fact, has put up in a house reserved for the state excise commissioner near CST.The Malabar Hill bungalow is generally provided to an additional municipal commissioner in charge of the city. Pallavi took up the BMC posting in December 2014. Instead of assigning the bungalow to her as per the rules, the state pushed for Pravin’s name. Pallavi was moved to the Food and Drug Administration in June this year.A senior municipal official said BMC bungalows cannot be given to “a third party” without approval from the improvements committee. Also, bungalows meant for additional municipal commissioners cannot be provided to IAS or IRS officers who are not in the civic body.In his letter, Mehta also said the allotment to Pravin was illegal under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act. Mehta could not be reached for a comment on Monday.Goyal told Mirror the allotment was an adjustment to avoid inconveniencing officials. “Additional municipal commissioner Idzes Kundan is living in state accommodation, while Pravin Darade is housed in the BMC bungalow. So we thought that we should not disturb the two,” he said. “If the BMC decides that Darade must vacate the bungalow, then it must communicate that to us. The issue will be put up before the highest authority.”Pravin said in a text message that he was staying in the bungalow as per the government’s order.