Govt sympathy is with Campa Cola residents: Maharashtra CM

Soon after the Supreme Court stayed the demolition of Campa Cola Compound in Mumbai till May 31, 2014, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said his government's "sympathy" is with its residents and it will consider legal options available.

Chavan said serious violations were committed in raising the building and the previous SC judgment, ordering the illegal structure's demolition, was very harsh, as it asked no state authorities to interfere with its order for razing the flats.

In a signal that the state government could explore legal possibilities to help out its residents, he said an ordinance to nullify the SC order was also being considered. "The resident have got some relief... Our sympathy is with them," he told media personnel.

On the road ahead, he said the state government would take legal opinions and said the Attorney General of India, Goolam Vahanvati, was also Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's lawyer and could chip in with legal help. He had also asked the urban development department to look into various aspects of violations of building laws and fix accountability for them, he said.

Quoting media reports, Chavan said residents bought flats in the society knowing well that they were built illegally because their price was way below market rates.

Taking suo motu cognisance of protests by residents as the BMC demolition squad arrived at their doorstep, the SC stopped the demolition till May 31 next year.