Bengaluru: A group of ruling Congress legislators are learnt to be pressurising Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to transfer Bengaluru (Urban) District Deputy Commissioner, Mr V. Shankar who cleared encroachments on city lake beds recently triggering a public uproar.
Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that Congress legislators from Bengaluru city shared their feelings with the CM and requested him to transfer Mr Shankar following a public uproar over demolishing their houses built on tank beds. The legislators were of the opinion that continuing Mr Shankar in the same post may affect party prospects in the coming elections to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Sources said Mr Siddaramaiah did not commit himself to transferring Mr Shankar at this juncture as it would boomerang on them. Since the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) have already taken up the issue of demolition of houses on tank beds, the transfer of Mr Shankar would provide fodder to them to intensify their attack. The CM is not keen on a fresh controversy after the attacks by opposition parties over the transfer of Lokayukta SP Mahesh, who recently raided Congress MLA Munirathna Naidu’s house in Bengaluru.
Sources said the CM tried to explain to the legislators that the DC did his duty as per directions from the Karnataka High Court. Already, IAS officers working in Karnataka are not happy with the way the government handled the alleged assault on Ms Rashmi Mahesh and the mysterious death of D.K. Ravi. Shunting out Mr Shankar at this point would not only anger the IAS community but would also create a negative impact on the government.
Mr Siddaramaiah also reportedly told the MLAs that the government had decided to distribute BDA flats free of cost to families displaced by the demolition drive and that would assuage their feelings. The legislators were advised to work hard in their respective Assembly constituencies to ensure the victory of Congress candidates and not bother too much about the DC’s transfer.
Government’s gift: Affected families to get free BDA flats
The state government has decided to give flats built by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) free of cost to those who lost their homes during a recent demolition drive undertook by revenue authorities to clear encroachments in tank bed areas in the city.
Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had already made up his mind to distribute the flats to poor families whose dwellings were razed. The deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district has been instructed to identify genuine families so that flats can be distributed to them. All families who built houses and lost them during the demolition drive, would be eligible to get the flats.
Sources claimed that there would be no financial burden on the government since the flats were ready for occupation. The flats are situated near the demolished houses and the process would be completed as early as possible.
Sources said the affected families would have to accept the flats allotted by the government without insisting that they want two bedroom apartments. Though they had built their houses illegally on tank beds, the government was considering their plea as a special case on humanitarian grounds. “The flats the government is planning to give them, are in good condition. The CM will shortly hand over the keys.”
The CM had already discussed this issue with his cabinet colleagues and they have suggested that he do this at the earliest in view of BBMP elections. The BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are sure to make the demolition a big issue in the polls. Meanwhile, the government is waiting for the House panel’s interim report on lake encroachments which is likely on June 9 and then announce the free flat distribution.
Only three houses!
Though around 80-100 houses in Sarakki, Puttenahalli and Jaraganahalli and five houses in Banaswadi were demolished, it is only three houses according to Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra!
