Bollywood star-turned politician Jaya Bachchan has been served a notice by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay the amount spent on repeated demolitions of "illegal constructions" in her two flats here, officials said

On June 16, a BMC team demolished "illegal structures" constructed at her flats H 101 and 102 in Ansal Apartments where Jaya's mother Indira Bhaduri lives.

BMC officials said a bill of Rs.2,800 was sent Tuesday to Jaya Bachchan as demolition charges.

In the last 10 months, the BMC have thrice demolished illegal structures at 16 flats in Ansal Apartments.

"All the 16 residents, whose structures have been demolished, combined together will have to pay demolition charges amounting to nearly Rs.60,000," said Bhopal Mayor Sunil Sood.

The drive was initiated September 2006 on the directives of the Lokayukta, who investigates corruption cases against ministers and government officials after the Madhya Pradesh High Court upheld a lower court's decision to demolish illegal structures at Ansal Apartments.

Owners of ground floor flats had constructed a boundary wall and a shed on land meant as common open space. People living on the upper floors protested the construction and requested the BMC to raze the illegal structures.

About four years back, J.L. Ajmani, a former Indian Administrative Services officer living in an upper floor flat, complained to the divisional commissioner that the common open space was being encroached upon. He added that residents were left with no space for parking vehicles and for children to play.

BMC officials said they issued a notice January 2003 to remove the illegal structures but the owners, including Jaya Bachchan, took the matter to the district court June 2005.

The court closed the case September that year without giving them any relief. They then filed a petition with the high court, which turned down their plea in May 2006. The BMC initiated action in September 2006 when Ajmani complained to the Lokayukta.