A day after Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur temporarily halted the demolition of 32 tribal homes in Phanaswadi near Karanjade, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) proceeded with razing all the structures. The displaced villagers are now living on the roadside and footpaths.
Advocate Suresh Thakur, President of the 95 Villages of Navi Mumbai, NAINA, and Other Project-Affected Committee, alleged that CIDCO used excessive police force during the demolition in Panvel taluka. Shockingly, the houses destroyed were reportedly constructed under a government housing scheme.
Earlier, MLA Prashant Thakur had staged a dramatic protest at the demolition site, threatening self-immolation and demanding a complete halt to the drive until a comprehensive and inclusive rehabilitation policy for tribal families in the Panvel-Uran region was finalized. His intervention had led to a temporary suspension of the operation.
CIDCO officials had responded to the protest by assuring that the issue would be addressed in the upcoming board meeting. They even handed over a formal letter stating that no further action would be taken until a rehabilitation plan was in place. However, once the MLA withdrew his support, CIDCO moved swiftly, sending in bulldozers and evicting families—many of whom are now forced to seek shelter under the open sky.
