With the deadline set by the Supreme Court just a week away, the owners of over 400 flats that have been ordered to be demolished by the apex court have launched last ditch efforts to save their homes, sending petitions seeking the intervention of the President and the Prime Minister.
Last week, after the apex court pulled up the Kerala government for not abiding by its order, local authorities set in motion the process for the demolition of the flats which the SC ruled were built in violation of the Coastal Regulations Zone rules. Desperate flat owners have dispatched petitions to the top two authorities in Delhi and all 140 legislators in the state assembly, cutting across party lines are also scheduled to send similar letters. The local authorities have already sent notices asking residents to vacate the premises preparatory to the demolition and even invited tenders from demolition experts for undertaking the job.
As per the notice, the residents have been given five days to leave the premises, and if they failed to do so, it will be considered a violation of the Supreme Court order. Additionally, as per the 1994 Municipal Act and other laws applicable to this case, the municipality secretary will initiate prosecution procedures against the violators without any further notice and the legal expenses in this regard will be obtained from them.
–India Legal Bureau