Bengaluru: It’s a double blow for residents of Classic Orchards, a gated community on Bannerghatta Road, with two government agencies refusing to come to their help.
About a year ago, these residents launched a battle against the builder, Nakoda Construction Ltd, for diverting a Rajakaluve and constructing a luxury apartment on a piece of government land in Kothnur village (Bannerghatta Road). The diversion has led to flooding of their gated community and the residents have been seeking the help of authorities to take action against the builder.
They filed a complaint with the BBMP and the Lokayukta and after putting up their fight consistently, they thought they were close to victory when a BBMP preliminary report confirmed that the apartment built by Nakoda, Aastha-Valmark, was coming up on an encroached land.
But the Lokayukta washed its hands of the case, saying the BBMP was not responding to their directions, while the BBMP officials maintained that they had a sent a report to the corruption watchdog and they did not do anything about it.
Mr Subbu Hegde, a member of the Classic Orchards Property Owners’ Association, said that an inquiry was conducted by a technical advisory committee and chief engineer of Lokayukta Anil Kumar in the last week of May had directed the BBMP Joint Director, Town Planning, to submit a survey report before June 10. But so far, there has been no reply from the BBMP.
“It has been more than a month since the deadline was set for the BBMP. The officials don’t respond to our calls nor reply when we ask them about the status of the report. They hang up our calls as soon as we mention the case. They maintain that their role is over. It looks like the BBMP officials have colluded with the builders,” he said.
On the other hand, the Lokayukta, which is hearing the case, has suspiciously postponed it to October 15. “Both the departments don’t want to take responsibility. The construction of the apartment is going on rapidly and it will be ready by September. We are clueless as to what to do next,” he said. BBMP Administrator T.M Vijay Bhaskar sought details of the case and said he would help the residents.
