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The Bombay High Court Friday asked residents of Willingdon colony in Santacruz (West) opposing its redevelopment to pursue their appeal before the High Power Committee (HPC) of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and ordered status quo until the HPC arrives at a decision.
Sumer Associates,developers and land-owners of the 5.5 acre plot that houses 25 bungalows constructed between 1912 to 1917,had razed five bungalows on June 6 following confusion between BMC,the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC),and the SRA. The SRA later issued a stay on the demolitions.
On June 8,as many as 18 residents opposed to the redevelopment of the plot moved the Bombay High Court urging it to protect the proposed heritage structures.
The court had granted an interim stay on the demolition till Tuesday.
A division bench of Justices S J Vazifdar and R Y Ganoo also asked the authorities and the developers not to take any coercive action for seven days in the event that the committee rules against the members opposing the redevelopment.
While MHCC and a few of the colonys tenants have been campaigning against the illegal redevelopment scheme of the 25 bungalows,the BMC and the SRA claim the structures demolished are not graded in the proposed list as they have been registered as NA.
In the court,residents opposing the move have contested the classification of the colony as a slum. They have also contended that the bungalows are proposed heritage structures and urged the court to stop Sumer Associates from carrying out further demolitions in the colony.
The Supreme Court had on March 23 dismissed the tenants challenge to the redevelopment of 25 cottages in the colony and observed that the tenants in opposition,whose numbers had dwindled from 15 to five persons in four years of litigation,did not represent the interests of the society of 69 tenants.
The apex court upheld the Bombay High Courts decision and refused a stay on the redevelopment scheme.
mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com
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