Campa Cola: After SC stay, government has more time to explore legal options, says Prithviraj Chavan

New Delhi: With the Supreme Court giving relief to residents of Campa Cola Compound in Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said government has now got more time to explore legal possibilities to resolve the issue.

Soon after the Supreme Court stayed the demolition of Campa Cola Compound in Mumbai till May 31, 2014, Chavan said his government's 'sympathy' was with its residents.

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.

Apart from seeking legal opinion, Chavan suggested another option, which the government may look into.

"Some land is available (in the Campa Cola Society) and it could be consumed to regularise the building. This could be one of the alternatives, but even for that legal opinion has to be sought," Chavan told reporters here.

On the road ahead, he said, apart from the government taking legal opinions, Attorney General of India Goolam Vahanvati was also Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's lawyer and could chip in with legal help.

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

"Due to the harsh judgement neither the state government nor the BMC could anything in the matter," Chavan said.

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.