New Delhi: In a big setback for hundreds of unauthorised residents of
the Campa Cola society in Mumbai, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to
grant them further extension to vacate their houses.
According to reports, the apex court, while hearing their plea for
extension, asked them to vacate their illegal premises by May 31, 2014,
stating that no more time will be granted to them in this
regard.
The apex court had given the residents seven months in November last
year to vacate the illegal flats in the compound as there was no
relocation plan in place.
During the previous hearing, Attorney General GE Vahanvati had told
the apex court that no specific proposal could be worked out for
enabling new construction in the compound.
Vahanvati had earlier indicated that the present flats to the extent
they are unauthorised will be demolished and in the vacant land new
flats will be constructed for the affected residents. However, no
relocation plan could be worked out.
The apex court had last year suspended the demolition of 96 flats of the Campa Cola housing complex till further orders.
The SC bench of Justice GS Singhvi and Justice C Nagappan suspended
the demolition of 96 flats which were to be pulled down by the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on an earlier apex court order.
In the beginning of 2013, the apex court ordered the demolition of these
flats because of violation by the builders. These flats were
constructed three decades ago without the permission of the Mumbai's
civic body and hence were declared illegal. More than 140 families have
been residing in the complex for the past 25 years.