SC seeks Maha govt, BMC reply on plea by Campa Cola residents

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today sought a response from Maharashtra government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the plea of Campa Cola Housing Society residents seeking another chance to save their illegal flats which they were asked to vacate. A bench, comprising Justices SJ Mukhopadhaya and SA Bobde issued the notice to the state government and the civic body on the plea of residents who wanted to have negotiations with them to resolve the matter. [caption id=“attachment_1649305” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photo of protests at Campa Cola. PTI[/caption] During the vacation, the apex court had refused to give any relief to the flat owners in Mumbai’s Campa Cola Housing Society against the earlier order asking them to vacate their premises by 31 May. The apex court had also rejected the submission that at least the illegal flats be not demolished till the time it decides the curative petition of the residents association in the case. The court had on November 19 last year asked the flats owners at the Society to vacate their houses by 31 May as no specific proposal could be worked out to provide them space in the compound for construction of a new building. On 27 February last year, it had ordered the municipal body to demolish the illegal flats. Later, on 1 October, it refused to re-consider the earlier order and set November 11 last year as the deadline to vacate 102 illegal flats. However, as the 11 November deadline approached, the residents protested the eviction. The court then took note of the media reports and extended the time till 31 May for vacating the premises. Seven high-rise buildings of Campa Cola Housing Society were constructed between 1981 and 1989. The builders had permission for only six floors. One of the compound buildings, Midtown, has 20 floors and another building, Orchid, has 17 floors. PTI