As the May 31 deadline to vacate their homes from the illegal Campa Cola premises approaches, residents continue to dig in their heels and refuse to move out. Meanwhile, the civic body is considering a conciliatory approach by taking legal recourse.
The local municipal office, on Monday, sent notices to 140 illegal flats spread across 35 floors in the seven buildings of the Campa Cola Complex in Worli. Residents had been given time until June 2, to hand over the keys and possession of their flats.
“In a way, their deadline has been extended by two days because June 1 is a Sunday. Depending on the response we get from them, we will decide the future course of action. If they do not cooperate, we will approach the Supreme Court because they will be in violation of their directives,” said additional municipal commissioner MM Adtani.
The civic body has floated tenders for demolition but has not yet found takers. It is now in the process of revising the tenders. “Even if it takes time to finalise a contractor for demolition, we can use our labourers to make the flats inhabitable. The demolition can be carried out later as well,” said Mr Adtani.
Residents, meanwhile, have been running from pillar to post to get their voices heard. “The civic body should not carry out the demolition just before the monsoon. It is against the law,” Nandini Mehta, a resident had said at a recent press conference.
However, Mr. Adtani said that there was no law preventing the civic body from carrying out the demolition during the monsoon months. “These are not slums. Moreover, the Supreme Court had fixed May 31 as a deadline,” he said.
The civic body had initiated demolition action on November 12. But a day later, the Supreme Court ordered a stay of six months due to negative media publicity. Mr. Adtani said that the civic body would be well in its right to forcefully demolish the illegal homes but would prefer the legal recourse. “Each time we tried to do it, residents protested or did something or the other to hamper our work. Approaching the Supreme Court is the best recourse at the moment,” he said.
