Campa Cola residents jubilant as SC opens legalisation window

A Supreme Court ruling on Friday has come as a huge relief to the residents of Campa Cola Compound Society at Worli in Mumbai, with scenes of jubilation among the residents today.

A bench of Justices M Y Eqbal and Kurian Joseph on Friday clarified that the SC orders of 27 February and 1 October 2013 will not come in the way of the government considering the plea of the Campa Cola residents, and asked the petitioner residents to file a representation before the government as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for regularisation.

The Maharashtra government told the SC that if the occupants of the 'illegal' flats approach the government for regularisation, their fresh plea will be considered.

Nandini Mehta, one of the residents of Campa Cola Compound, said, ''There is an immense sense of relief among the residents over the verdict. We haven't received the order yet. But once we get it, we will start our preparations for making the representation. We will also meet the chief minister in this regard to explain to him our viewpoint.''

Another resident Vidya Shrinivas said that justice had been delivered. ''We had been fighting this battle for a long time. We are thankful to the Supreme Court for taking into consideration our pleas.''

The Campa Cola compound has seven buildings - Midtown, Esha Ekta Apartments, Shubh Apartments, Patel Apartments (two buildings), BY Apartments and Orchid, which among them have 35 illegal floors containing 99 flats spread over 90,000 sq ft of area.

While the builders were granted permission for ground-plus-five floors, Midtown went up to 20 floors, Orchid to 17, Esha Ekta to eight, Shubh to seven and BY and Patel to six floors each.

Following the SC order to demolish the illegal flats last month, the BMC had cut off electricity, gas and water connections of illegal flats in the Campa Cola Compound. The BMC had told the SC that it might not be possible to regularise the Campa Cola Compound buildings.