MUMBAI, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- India's Environment Ministry has ordered the razing of a 31-story, corruption scandal-ridden apartment complex in Mumbai, calling it unauthorized construction.
Minister Jairam Ramesh said the "entire structure" by the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society should be brought down in three months, the Indian Express reported.
The scandal, one of several currently hounding the ruling coalition in New Delhi, has already led to the resignation of the chief minister of western Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital. The original authorization reportedly called for a six-story complex to be allotted to war widows but the building society was accused of selling the apartments to politicians, military officers and bureaucrats and others at heavily discounted prices in exchange for clearances.
"The unauthorized structure built ... should be removed in its entirety and the area should be restored to its original condition," the Express reported, citing the Environment Ministry's order.
The newspaper said the ministry rejected other options such as a government takeover of the building or knocking down those parts of the building that had exceeded the prescribed floor space limits. The report said such options would only lead to giving "substantial discretionary power" to the government or "regularizing or condoning" coastal zonal violations.
"The fact that there may well be other cases or similar violations provides no grounds for mitigation of the penalty attracted by such an egregious violation as that by (the building society)," Ramesh was quoted as saying.
The Hindustan Times said the ministry warned it would get the structure demolished if the building society failed to comply with its order.
The building society planned to challenge the minister's order the Mumbai high court, the report said. UPI
