Campa Cola: 'Illegal' residents may have to fend for themselves

, Nov 19: Chief Minister

said he sympathised with the illegal residents, but can do little to help them out; Not a statement, but a shocker for those losing their entire live's investments.

Chavan further said that there was no way that the residents could be accomodated in the same premise or an adjacent area.

"Accommodating them on the adjoining land will be complicated since it is reserved for industrial purpose. Even if the reservation is changed, it comes under Coastal Regulation Zone rules and, as such, there is little scope for their rehabilitation," he said.

On November 12, the Supreme Court issued a stay order at the eleventh hour when the BMC was about to star executing the demolition process. During the hearing then, Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati proposed that a surplus and unutilised area within the compound could be used for a new building and rehabilitation of the residents. Vahanvati was asked to file a proposal on this by November 19.

However, till Monday, Vahanvati had no instructions.

Meanwhile, municipal authorites are seeking ways and plans to accomodate the residents, despite senior bureaucrats saying, "not possible to implement the proposal mooted by the AG. If we implement the suggestion, it will set a bad precedent and will be against the BMC Act".

They further add,"Our job is to examine building proposals and take stringent action against erring builders. It is beyond our jurisdiction to draft a rehabilitation plan for illegal flat owners. Even in cases of dangerous buildings, we never provide accommodation to their occupants or draft rehabilitation plans for them."

Nevertheless, the various measures that are being considered to rehabilitate the residents included taking back the portion of the Campa Cola grounds that was meant for industrial use. Getting additional FSI under the 1991 development control rules, which exclude common passages and staircases from FSI calculations, has also been ruled out.

The Supreme Court hearing on the Campa Cola case is to be held today.

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