The order of the Bombay high court to demolish the controversial 31-storey Adarsh building at Colaba came as a welcome surprise. The court has asked the Centre and State governments to ‘resume’ the plot and the defence ministry to conduct an in-depth inquiry against its officers for not taking timely action. Owners of apartments have been given time to appeal in the Supreme Court. The blatantly illegal construction saw the downfall of a chief minister and has the present railway minister Suresh Prabhu as an ineligible member.
The building had become a symbol of corruption on account of the illegal clearances granted by the government in violation of CRZ norms. Also, several building rules were relaxed to accommodate the high and mighty. Building rules and CRZ norms are violated with impunity and the lengthy process involved in demolishing illegal constructions usually acts as a deterrent to law abiding citizens whose only demand is equal treatment for one and all. The order of the high court is therefore an encouragement to those who wish to continue the good fight against corruption and illegal constructions.
