From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Aug 8: Stoutly defending the ongoing demolition drive against buildings on encroached lands along the Rajakaluves of lakes, especially the storm water drains, that were responsible for constant flooding during heavy rains in Bengaluru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that the State Government would not show any mercy in clearing the encroachments.
Speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of former Chief Minister S Nijalingappa on the occasion of his 16th death anniversary opposite Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday, the Chief Minister also assured that action would be taken against officials too for their lapses and connivance that led to these encroachments.
Responding to the plight of many families, whose houses were being demolished, the Chief Minister said: ``It is true that the demolition drive has caused inconvenience to some families. But it is inevitable in the interest of larger number of citizens who are suffering due to flooding whenever it rains due to encroahcment of Rajakaluves. We will have to accept this reality."
The Chief Minister pointed out that the State Government would come under for fire from the people and media if the city witnesses the kind of floods that happened in Kodichikkanahalli recently.
"We cannot allow a Chennai type of flooding and devastation to happen in Bengaluru when it rains," Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah assured that action would be initiated against officials as well.
"We will conduct a probe to ascertain the lapses or collusion of officials in allowing these encroachments of Rajakaluves and lakes. Action will be taken against errant officials,' he said.
The assurance comes in the wake of complaints pouring in from those whose houses have been demolished.
Most of the people, whose houses had been demolished, have obtained Khata and plan sanction from the BBMP before starting construction. They have also been paying property tax for the past several years.
The grieving families are questioning as to why action is being taken only against them and why not against the officials of civic agencies, who sanctioned the layout plan and issued khatas for these properties on Rajakaluves.
BJP wants demolition to continue against all encroachers
Meanwhile, BJP State Joint Spokesperson Malavika Avinash, has in a press release, said BJP demands demolition be undertaken equally against all illegal encroachments including the large-scale builders, owners of tech parks, malls and multiplexes and criminal action be taken against those developers who dupe the middle-class by selling plots that illegally occupy lake-beds and storm-water drains-buffer zones.
Officers of BDA and BBMP responsible for plan approval of such illegal construction be brought to book through criminal proceedings and compulsory retirement, she said.
While no one is opposed to demolition of illegal encroachment per se, that the big fish namely the builders and developers as well as those officers who are responsible for approval of plans go scot free, it is notable that the officers on duty and their bulldozers selectively target the middle-class individual homes.
BBMP covers in its jurisdiction, a total of 857km of storm-water drains and 3428 acres of buffer zone and there are documents available to establish that about 480 kms of the storm-water drains and approximately 1500 acres of the buffer zone have been illegally encroached upon for construction.
About 668 construction companies were involved in building commercial and residential complexes in the city, 150 odd IT/BT companies, 29 of the 53 tech parks, 30 of the 107 malls and multiplexes have illegally encroached 75 % of the lake-beds and storm-water drains for construction is common knowledge, she said.
Instead of executing the Supreme Court order of clearing illegal encroachments with equal zeal against all encroachers, the State Government chooses to apply different standards for different offenders, she said.