New Delhi: Over 500 residents of Mumbai's Campa Cola society are preparing to confront civic teams that will arrive at the high-rise complex to disconnect water and power supply to 35 illegal floors.
BMC will undertake the drive to raze around 96 flats as per the SC order following its observation of FSI violations across seven buildings in the compound.
The court's order was passed in February 2013, while the breather given to the residents concerned ended on May 31 this year.
The residents are left with no choice but to vacate their homes. Seven buildings of the Campa Cola Housing Society in Mumbai were constructed between 1981 and 1989.
Here are a few facts about the case:
1. In 1955, BMC leased the land to Pure Drinks Ltd for establishing a factory.
2. In 1980, it sought permission from the civic body to develop a large portion of the land for residential purposes, and signed an agreement with three builders to construct the seven buildings.
3. Out of the seven, two are towers with 17 and 20 floors respectively, while three buildings have six floors each and two have seven floors.
4. According to BMC, the builders were permitted to construct only five floors and all the floors above that are illegal. The Supreme Court, in its order on February 2013, permitted the BMC to demolish the unauthorised floors.
5. In 2005, the residents realised that the building's plans were never officially passed and none of the residents given occupation certificates despite residing in the buildings for 25 years. This, despite the fact that BMC officials regularly collected property tax from the residents.
6. Around 140 families, who have been living there for more than 25 years, have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court alleging that a nexus between the civic body and builders was behind their ordeal.
7. The residents were allegedly fooled by the builders, who told them that the plans had been put up for approval. In reality, the BMC rejected all of them.
8. Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan on November 11, 2013 discussed the issue of Campa Cola compound residents, who are facing demolition of their unauthorised flats, with the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
9. The Governor had received a petition from the Campa Cola Compound Residents Association, Worli, seeking his intervention, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said.
10. The BMC did give the residents a few more days of relief and the demolition is now planned for May 2.
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