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Campa Cola: BMC disconnects power supply

by IBNS 23 Jun 2014, 10:30 am

Mumbai, June 23 (IBNS) Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials on Monday entered the premises of the Campa Cola society and disconnected electricity supply to the illegal flats on the compound.

They will also disconnect water and gas pipeline connections to the illegal flats.

In a major development, the residents of Mumbai's Campa Cola society, who were  engaged in a tense stand-off for the past two days, on Sunday agreed to allow the officials of the BMC to enter the premises.

"Till now we were fighting against the system. We believe if we now fight by keeping system by our side then we will get proper justice.We met CM and he understood our troubles," a resident of the society told media.

The  residents, in an attempt to protest the demolition of flats by BMC officials, wrote a mercy petition to President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday under article 143(1) of the Constitution urging him to seek opinion from the Supreme Court on the case, media reports said.
 
According to article 143(1) of Constitution, if at any time it appears to the President that a question of law or fact has arisen, or is likely to arise, which is of such a nature and of such public importance that it is expedient to obtain the opinion of the Supreme Court upon it, he may refer the question to that Court for consideration and the Court may, after such hearing as it thinks fit, report to the President its opinion thereon.
 
After facing protests even on Saturday, the BMC officials returned for a third day on Sunday to start the eviction process at theCampa Colasociety.
 
On Saturday, the BMC failed to evict residents of the 102 illegal flats that are to be demolished by the Supreme Court's order.
 
Earlier, the BMC filed a case against the Cola residents for  obstructing a public servant from performing his duty, said reports.
 
A standoff followed when the BMC came to evict the residents and the officials on Friday failed to begin the eviction process at the Campa Colasociety here as residents blocked their way when they tried to enter the compound.
 
With the BMC set to start demolishing the 102  flats at the Campa Cola compound- armed with the Supreme Court order which called the construction illegal and had asked the  owners in Mumbai to vacate the premises by May 31, 2014- the residents on Friday said they would form human chains and try to stop the process.
 
Pertinently, the deadline for the residents to vacate their flats ended on Friday.
 
On June 3, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed against the eviction and demolition of 102 illegal flats in Mumbai'sCampa Cola society.
 
The apex court on May 30 had agreed to hear a fresh plea against in the Campa Cola society eviction case.
 
On Nov 19, 2013 the apex court had asked the illegal flats' owners at the Campa Cola Society in Mumbai to vacate the premises by May 31, 2014.
 
The apex court had directed the residents to produce a written undertaking within six weeks saying they would follow its orders.
 
It said that if no undertaking was provided, the BMC would be entitled to take action in accordance with the order of Feb 27, 2013.
 
The Supreme Court had earlier stayed the demolition of the flats at Campa Cola till May 31, 2014.
 
The Supreme Court on Nov 13, 2013 said it directed the BMC not to demolish the flats as there was an human angle to the issue.
 
The BMC earlier had called in bulldozers to demolish unauthorised flats at the compound of the Campa Cola housing society.
 
However, over 100 families of the society locked the main gate and refused to let in BMC officials, said reports.
 
On Oct 1, 2013 the Supreme Court had ordered Campa Cola society residents to vacate their 102 illegal flats by Nov 11, 2013. Only 10 out of them vacated the flats.