Campa Cola residents dare authorities, demand demolition of all illegal constructions in Maharashtra

New Delhi: It is the end of the road for the residents of Mumbai's Campa Cola society as the deadline for them to vacate their flats ends on Thursday. The Campa Cola resident association has sent a 14-point charter of demands to the Municipal Commissioner.

They have demanded that all illegal constructions in the city of Mumbai and Maharashtra be demolished and no building will be regularised by nefarious means.

This comes as over 100 residents living in the nine buildings have to vacate their apartments by 5 pm on Thursday, following the Supreme Court order. Nobody knows whether the flat owners will hand over the keys and say goodbye once the Supreme Court deadline to vacate the flats ends at 5 pm on Thursday. Unlike the last time, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not deployed its forces and demolition equipments outside the Campa Cola society in the Worli area of South Mumbai.

According to rules, the BMC has to float a tender for the demolition and it is not even possible during the monsoon. The demolition can happen only after September.

Just 10 per cent of the Floor Space Index (FSI) is extra and it is in violation of the rules. Campa Cola owners have agreed to surrender 10 per cent of the space. They still hope that the state government will handle it.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said that the state government will not intervene in the Campa Cola building issue, but he is willing to consider any proposal provided it is in the legal framework and does not affect the Supreme Court order regarding the razing of the flats. "I am ready to consider any proposal which is within the legal framework and which does not affect the Supreme Court judgement. However, there is no such proposal in sight, but I am willing to consider it if there is one," Chavan said in a statement.

The BMC officials they may not forcibly take away the keys from the flat owners. According to some officials they will inform the Supreme Court that the flat owners refused to hand over keys and it is contempt of the court. They will wait for the SC order to go ahead.

There is an eerie silence outside the society. Nobody is talking or saying anything about what might happen after 5 pm.