The Indian Express 29.04.2013
BMC postpones demolition of Campa Cola buildings
After taking an adamant stand on demolishing 35 illegal floors in Worli's Campa Cola compound, BMC has now relented and delayed the demolitions. The civic administration will now begin the demolition process from May 2, after extending it by three days.
BMC has cited problems of mobilising labour on May 1, a public holiday on account of Labour Day and Maharashtra Day. "We want to undertake the demolition without any breaks. With May 1 being a holiday for labourers, the administration decided to extend the demolitions by a few days. Police protection is also expected by that time," said Mohan Adtani, Additional Municipal Commissioner.
He added that the demolitions will be undertaken in a scientific and strategic manner.
"There will be six-seven teams of around 80 labourers to carry out the demolition. It will be supervised by senior officials from removal of encroachments department. Initially, walls of unauthorised flats will be brought down; slabs will be razed later," Adtani said.
The extension will especially come as relief for the 140-odd families currently residing in seven buildings in the compound. They were served a 48-hour notice to evict the buildings on Friday. These residents are also hoping for a stay from Bombay High Court in a review petition.
The BMC, following a Supreme Court verdict in February, had taken a strong stance on carrying out demolitions of unauthorised floors.
Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte had earlier told Newsline that the case will be a landmark one as far as action against unauthorised structures is concerned. "An expert team will also be roped in to carry out the demolitions in a scientific and strategic manner," he had said.
In 1984, the civic administration had issued a stop-work notice to the Campa Cola buildings that have added floors illegally. Supreme Court ordered demolition of the irregular floors on February 27 and said the residents could not approach a government or political body for regularisation of the structures. As a last resort, the 140 families filed a review petition on April 1. They claimed the BMC notice was short.
The residential apartments built on land leased to Pure Drinks in 1955 received BMC approval for development in 1980. "Without getting plans approved, Pure Drinks and builders Yusuf Patel, B K Gupta and P S B Construction Company erected seven buildings, including two of 17 and 20 floors," said Rohit Malhotra, head of Campa Cola Compound Residents Association.
The litigation was necessitated as Pure Drinks sold a portion of the land housing the now-defunct Campa Cola factory to Krishna Developers. Residents sat the corporation decided to act now because of the politician-builder nexus. They believe the additional FSI generated as a result of the demolition will eventually go back to Pure Drinks and they will be able to once again encash it by redeveloping the area.
