Mumbai:
The demolition of Mumbai's controversial Adarsh Housing Society now seems imminent.
NDTV has learnt that the Army and Navy are exploring the option of demolishing the housing society after extensive evidence that it was built on defence land. The Ministry of Defence may also look at invoking the Works of Defence Act, 1903, which empowers it to acquire a building or installation, or even demolish it.
The Army's Southern Command has established culpability of at least half a dozen high ranking retired and serving officers of both Defence Estates Organisation and the Army in colluding to get Adarsh off the ground.
The Adarsh Housing Scam has already cost Ashok Chavan to quit as Maharashtra Chief Minister, and now the Opposition says demolition seems the only way out.
"If this is true then appropriate action should be initiated by the Defence and the building should be demolished if the need arises," says Eknath Khadse, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly.
"Everyday there are new revelations on Adarsh. All along the state government has mentioned that it is their land. Now they have no defence left to say that.. Let the building be demolished," says Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had issued a show-cause notice to the controversial society for "blatant" violation of green norms. The minister suggested that some of the floors of the 31-storey building in upscale Colaba area of Mumbai be demolished as has been done in similar cases in the past.
The Environment Ministry made it clear that it never issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) on March 11, 2003, to the Society for construction of the residential building.
The naked collusion between Army officers with politicians and bureaucrats loomed 31 storeys high when the Adarsh Society scam was discovered. It suggested a new low in corruption - flats meant for war widows and defence veterans had been cornered at prices unheard of for Mumbai's pricey Colaba area.