Mumbai: The Campa Cola residents on Sunday ended their three-day-long protest against the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials, saying that they are apologetic for not letting the civic body to demolish the illegal flats adding that they were only trying to save their houses.
The residents said that they will allow the BMC to cut power, water and gas connections to the illegal flats whenever they want, but added that they will not handover the keys of their flats.
The residents took this decision following the intervention of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, saying they would cooperate with civic authorities.
"We met CM, he said he will be instrumental in helping us. There will be more discussion," a resident said.
"BMC can disconnect utilities, can start the process whenever they want," Campa Cola residents said.They further said, "We can not watch our mothers, sisters and other elderly people suffering so much."
"We have realized that fighting will not get us anything, everyone was stressed. We would rather go with Govt," they added.
Addressing a press conference, Ashish Jalan, a resident of Campa Cola compound who was part 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 tomorrow.
"CM 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 co-operating with the system to get our redevelopment rights.
Will see legal solutions available to us. We have 3-4 options, we & BMC will explore these options," Jalan said.
"Appreciate BMC's patience and want to thank them for it. They could have done a lot against us but didn't," he said.
According to Jalan, the Chief Minister told the residents, who met him this afternoon, 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 in the day, the civic agency's Deputy Commissioner Anand Waghlakar had warned the protesting residents of repercussions.
Waghlakar had said that the losses faced by BMC in the last two days will be recovered from the residents through property tax.
The civic agency officials had even warned the residents that they will have to use force if the residents did not allow them access to the society.
Meanwhile, the residents of the Campa Cola society wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee a week ago asking him to intervene in the matter.
While the letter was written a week ago, the residents received the acknowledgment today, reports stated.
The standoff between the BMC and the residents continued today after two days of unsuccessful attempts on the part of civic body to evict residents of illegal flats.
BMC officials also reportedly stated that they will not demolish buildings today but disconnect power, gas and water supply of the society of the 102 flats.
Meanwhile, a woman protesting against the BMC action has reportedly fainted.
The residents had yesterday blocked the entry of the BMC civic officials into the society compound after which the civic authority filed a compliant with the police against the occupants for obstructing them in discharge of their duties.
When the BMC officials reached the housing society on Saturday, their entry was blocked with the grilled gates locked and women and girls residents seen pleading with folded hands.
A havan was also being performed in the society to keep the officials away from the premises.
The demolition process will be filmed by the BMC so that it can be used as a proof in the court if the residents of the Campa Cola society obstruct the work of the civic authority.
Seven buildings of Campa Cola Housing Society in south Mumbai were constructed between 1981 and 1989.
While the builders had permission for only six floors, one of the buildings 'Midtown' has 20 floors while another 'Orchid' 17.
In November 2013, when the demolition was about to begin, the Supreme Court had ordered a stay and given the residents time till May 2014.
The residents went to court again in May, but this time, the apex court dismissed their plea.
First Published: Sunday, June 22, 2014, 09:04
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