New Delhi: Environment Minister Jairam
Ramesh on Wednesday put on hold his order to demolish the
controversial Adarsh Society building till the Bombay High
Court hears the matter on April 27.
"Although no formal stay order was passed by the learned
bench nor any other interim relief granted, it seems
appropriate to respect the outcome of the judicial process and
not proceed with the demolition before the hearing scheduled
on the 27th of April, 2011," Ramesh said in a statement here.
The Bombay High Court today adjourned the hearing on a
stay imposed by it on the demolition of the Adarsh Society
building in Mumbai till April 27.
A division bench of Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice R G
Ketkar, which is hearing the petition challenging the
demolition of Adarsh Co-Operative Housing Society, said status
quo will be maintained in the case till the next hearing.
The Bench said it would first hear the Adarsh Society and
the Environment Ministry before passing a "drastic order" like
permitting demolition of the 31-storey building, located in
the upmarket Colaba.
On January 16, the Environment Ministry had ordered that
the demolition of the Adarsh society building within three
months for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
regulations.
The Adarsh Society has been under a cloud for allegedly
flouting norms and conditions of various local, state and
central government departments.
On January 29, the CBI registered a case against 14
people, including former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok
Chavan, retired army officials and bureaucrats for criminal
conspiracy, fraud and misuse of official powers while granting
various clearances to the society.
PTI
