Campa Cola Case: Are We Sparing The Guilty?

The residents of Campa Cola compound have given up. After a three-day standoff over their eviction, they met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and now they have decided to cooperate with the civic authorities.

According to reports, Ashish Jalan, a resident of Campa Cola compound who was part of the delegation that met the Chief Minister, addressed a press conference and told reporters that 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 co-operating with the system to get our redevelopment rights,” Jalan said.

Seven high-rises were constructed in the Campa Cola Compound, between 1981 and 1989. The builders had permission for only five floors. The residents have been fighting a legal battle since 2000, when they first went to the Bombay High Court to legalise their water and power supply.

Since June last year, we have been witnessing the ordeal of the people who have to vacate their house. Although there is no doubt that building and municipal laws have been broken by the developer of the property, probably in cahoots with municipal officials and crooked politicians, and that the illegal construction must be razed. But the legal side does not compensate the human problems.

One does not build a house but simply buys it in the current scenario. And that too by investing a lifetime’s saving. In that case, it becomes simply unfair to snatch their home from them without giving them financial compensation.

The real culprits are the builders and complicit municipal officials. And it may probably involve corrupt politicians who, in nexus with the builders and municipal officials, let this illegal work happen. It is them who provided ‘illegal’ house to the residents by telling lies. And they do not care a dime when a court orders the demolition. Why? Because they already have their compensation from the residents.

The poor public protests and then gives-in just like Campa Cola society members. The news is lost when a big one comes to the desk of media. And others too forget the incidence thinking that they are safe.

But the time has come that we take the case to a higher level. We need to join the Campa Cola residents and grow this protest. We also need to make buyers aware of the things they should check before buying a house. The doors of the court should be knocked for demanding justice.

The guilty should not be left unpunished.