It has been a losing battle for some time. While Bengalureans continue to fight the commercialisation of the localities they live in, new restaurants and other commercial outlets are stealthily making their way into them in blatant violation of the law even today.
Despite protests by the resident welfare associations (RWAs) and many of the locals, new buildings in several residential areas have boards announcing “Commercial space available for rent,” making no attempt to hide their clearly illegal intent. In many cases these buildings are rented out for commercial units with the BBMP either feigning ignorance or looking the other way.
While Mayor Sampath Raj claims to have no knowledge of such blatant attempts to rent out buildings in residential areas to commercial establishments, one restaurant is currently in the process of opening on 13th Main, Indiranagar. The locals have complained to the officials concerned, but have not been able to stop it coming up in their midst.
Says Ms Aruna Newton, president, Citizens for Civic Action RWA, a ward level association, "Every day, despite the noise and chaos we are forced to suffer we see new commercial units like restaurants and others making their way into residential areas without any difficulty. When we complain to the ward level engineer, he pretends to have been doing his duty religiously and says a notice has been served to the unit. But if this is true, then how can the new commercial units mushroom? The left hand does not seem to know what the right is doing in the BBMP."
Even worse, when the people approach the police station to put a stop to this increasing commercialisation of their localities, the police instead of taking action against the guilty, tell them that the commercial unit owner has invested a lot of money in the establishment and persuades them to swalpa adjust maadi, she recounts.
“The corporator says he has no clue and the local MLA says he has no idea about the restaurants and other such establishments coming up in our midst and argues that permission isn't being given at all.
Building owners who are greedy for more money, rent them out as commercial spaces while we suffer the consequences,” Ms Aruna laments.
Just between 7th and 13th Main Indiranagar there are 155 commercial establishments operating illegally in blatant violation of all norms, according to her. And those running them have reportedly started to argue, when confronted, that they are paying taxes to the government and are responsible for hundreds of livelihoods.
“But how can they even use the livelihood card ? Our lives are also involved. We want illegal commercial establishments out of residential areas. We have been protesting against this for long. If the officials will act only after the courts rap them, we will go to them soon,” she warns.
A small trader in one residential area blames the noisy pubs and bars for the fuss being made about commercialisation of such localities.
"Pubs and bars have elite customers, who come in their posh cars and park haphazardly in residential lanes causing a nuisance. And because of this traders like us, who run small restaurants and other services needed by citizens on a day -to -day basis, are targeted," he rues.
Rules are same for all - no commercial units should operate in residential areas: Sampath Raj
Q: What action have you taken against the commercial units operating in residential areas?
A: We began with issuing public notices and later our officials began serving notices to individual units operating illegally in residential areas. We have stopped issuing new trade licenses to units in a residential locality.
Q: Does the BBMP's job just end by just issuing individual notices?
A: No, it does not end there. Officials attached to the health wing of the BBMP follow it up with the individual units, asking them to stop their operation and vacate.
Q: While you say measures are being taken to get rid of existing commercial units, what is being done to prevent new ones from coming up? Even today in areas like Indiranagar, Malleswaram and Jayanagar, new residential buildings have boards saying 'commercial space available for rent.'
A: The rules are the same for all. Old or new, there should not be any
commercial units operating in residential areas. I think the building owners are
giving them to commercial units to make more money. But this will not be tolerated. I shall definitely ask the officials to keep a strict watch on such buildings where such boards have come up.
