(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Residents of the controversial campa cola compound in central mumbai on sunday finally relented and agreed to allow the civic demolition squad to enter the complex on monday and cut off power water and gas supplies.
the decision followed a meeting between the residents and maharashtra chief minister prithviraj chavan on sunday evening when the latter assured them that the government would consider ways of allowing the housing society to go ahead with redevelopment of some of the buildings.
residents of the campa cola compound had prevented the civic demolition squad from entering the complex since friday. even on sunday the bombay municipal corporation (bmc) team tried to convince the residents to allow them to carry out their task.
the bmc has been directed by the supreme court to demolish more than 100 flats on illegal floors in seven buildings in the housing society occupied by residents for several years.
the developer had illegally built the floors after bribing civic officials and had sold the flats to buyers some of who had been aware that they were unauthorised floors. after a messy legal battle stretching on for nearly two decades the supreme court ordered that the illegal floors be demolished.
hundreds of residents have prevented the civic team from entering the compound from friday holding religious rituals and forming human chains. the bmc officials want to disconnect electricity water and gas to the 100-odd flats.
on sunday the residents revealed that they had despatched a ‘mercy petition’ to president pranab mukherjee seeking his intervention. they have asked him to approach the apex court and help prevent the demolition of the flats. anand waghralkar deputy municipal commissioner however warned the residents that the civic body might be forced to take the help of the police and enter the compound to disconnect the utility lines. “we will not hesitate to use force against them” he added.
women children and senior citizens of the affected flats have been at the forefront of the demonstrations against the civic squad for the past three days. on sunday two women who were part of the protestors near the gate fainted and had to be rushed to hospital.
with elections to the maharashtra assembly scheduled to be held in october the bmc is also under pressure from the government not to take any drastic steps. last november the bmc had with the help of the police forcibly entered the compound. dramatic scenes of the forcible entry and the scuffles with the residents had promoted the supreme court to stay the demolition and grant a stay till may 31.
however the apex court has this time refused to extend the deadline for the demolition of the 100-odd flats.
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