New Ismaili Khoja Prayer Hall is Unauthorized Construction

Aurangabad, 9th November, 2016: A new Jamat Khana (community prayer hall) built for Aurangabad's Ismaili Khoja community is an unauthorized construction at Padegaon, at the city's outskirts 12 km away. According to the plan approved by Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, the Jamat Khana is shown as being the 2BHK residence of Aziz Shamshuddin Surani, the paternal uncle of the local Mukhi (chief priest) Aziz Abdullah Surani. The approved plan and CC is for Surani's 2BHK residence. 

Needless to say, what actually has been built is a prayer hall, not a residence. See photos.

Padegaon prayer hall --  an unauthorized and illegal structure.

This structure was built many months before Commencement Certificate was received. The Commencement Certificate (CC) is dated 30th Jan, 2016, but the structure was completed in late 2015.

The toilets are built outside the building, and they are an encroachment on land belonging to the Municipal Corporation. The toilets and office room were built as late as August-September 2016, and are not as per the approved plan. For several months, the prayer hall operated without toilets. See photos of under-construction external toilet blocks and office.

Toilet block being built on mandatory open spaces handed over to Aurangabad Municipal Corporation.

The structure does not have Occupation Certificate (OC), and will probably never get OC. As such, its continuing use by the community for holding daily prayers is an unauthorized and illegal use.

ARCHITECT SANTOSH SAKHARE STING OPERATION

Architect Santosh Sakhare of Sarthak Associates talked about all the violations in a recorded phone conversation. Here's what Santosh Sakhare said: "Building a community hall required permission from the District Collector, and the council members wanted to avoid approaching the Collector. As the plot belongs to the society chairman, they decided to show the community hall as the chairman's residence. Yes, the construction was not as per approved plan. They kept changing their requirement almost daily.... but we can manage to get the occupancy certificate. The community leaders directed the toilets and society office to be built in the side-margins of mandatory open spaces handed over to the municipal corporation. I did not make any plans and drawings. If asked, I will deny, as I have not recommended these things. Forcefully, the committee members made these changes. They were calling me, but I refused to go and check. We have replicated the structural plan of the community hall of Nanded, following instructions of the council president and others." Architect Santosh Sakhare revealed how the local community leaders – including those from Nanded Council -- took initiative for the unauthorized construction of Padegaon jamat khana.

Where are the high ethics that the community's monarchical leader Aga Khan preaches?

Read more: Aga Khan Followers Being Exploited by Priests 

ISSUED IN PUBLIC INTEREST BY

Krishnaraj Rao

9821588114

krish.kkphoto@gmail.com