After a three-day standoff over their eviction, residents of Campa Cola compound finally gave in on Sunday after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan intervened. The residents said they would cooperate with civic authorities.
Addressing a press conference, Ashish Jalan, a resident of Campa Cola and a member of the delegation that met the Chief Minister, said the residents would no longer obstruct the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) which was implementing the Supreme Court order on illegal flats and allow the civic officials inside the complex from Monday.
“Chavan assured us that he would look into our demand of getting 67,000 sq ft permissible FSI and asked us to comply with the court orders. He said he would positively consider the demand and seek opinion of the concerned authorities. With that assurance, we are taking the first step of cooperating with the system to get our redevelopment rights,” Jalan said.
Floor Space Index (FSI) is the ratio between the built-up area allowed and plot area available.
Redevelopment
According to Jalan, the Chief Minister told the residents that State intervention was not possible despite humanitarian considerations because of the Supreme Court order.
Jalan said the residents would meet the civic authorities and ask them to carry out their work in the complex of cutting of essential supplies to the illegal flats. Earlier on Sunday the residents petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention to stay the demolition of the illegal flats.
“We have written to the President and have humbly stated the ways in which the illegal flats can be regularised,” Ankit Garg, a resident said.