Maharashtra CM Intervenes in Campa Cola Issue, Residents Allow BMC to Cut Water, Electricity, Gas

At last, residents of Campa Cola Compound in Mumbai's Worli area have agreed to allow Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to enter their compound and disconnect essential supplies like water, gas and power to their homes.

With the intervention of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan on Sunday evening, the residents relented from their peaceful resistance to the BMC authorities' attempt to enter their compound. The residents have also sent a petition to President Pranab Mukherjee and urged him to pursue the available options to save their homes from demolition.

The Supreme Court has ordered the demolition of the illegally built floors, which are above the permissible level in Campa Cola Compound and BMC is supposed to act on Monday, 23 June on the apex court's order.

In the last two to three days, flat owners and occupants of about 100 flats have not allowed BMC officials to enter their compound, after which BMC is said to have registered complaints against the residents for obstructing them from discharging their duty to implement the apex court's orders.

As a first step to demolish the illegally built flats on high floors in the compound, BMC is set to disconnect supply of water, power and gas to the residents.

Meanwhile, Chavan has reportedly also discussed the possibility of reducing the number of flats to be demolished from 100 to 22.

The residents have appealed to the Chief Minister to regularize the areas of construction available within the permissible floor space index (FSI) in the compound. If the authorities concede to this demand of the residents, only 22 flats would be required to be razed. BMC had already rejected this plea of the residents, but they said that Chavan has assured them that he would favourably consider their demand to redevelop the illegal building in the compound and provide a solution to their problem.

Earlier, Chavan had stated that political interference in the strict and specific orders of the Supreme Court would be improper.

The Supreme Court had already given a six-month extension to the residents on humanitarian grounds after they promised to voluntarily vacate the illegal flats at the end of the six-month extension period.