Bengaluru: As hundreds of residents of Classic Orchards, a gated community on Bannerghatta Road watched, a team of BBMP officials equipped with a JCB and other machinery removed its gates and demolished its compound wall Friday morning, claiming they were encroaching on a public road.
Shocked at the demolition, the fuming residents pointed out they had been fighting the illegal construction of a swanky apartment opposite their gated community, but the BBMP seemed oblivious to it.
Although a BBMP survey recently concluded that the 14-storey apartment complex was encroaching upon a drain, it had remained untouched, they claimed.
Accusing the BBMP of being selective in its demolitions, the residents strongly objected to being targeted when they were taking care of their garbage and sewage disposal themselves.
“We segregate and compost the garbage generated in the layout and also have a sewage treatment plant in the grounds. In fact, we want the BDA to handover over the maintenance of the park here to us as well. Why is the BBMP then upset?” demanded one resident.
Justifying their action, however, BBMP officials said Friday’s demolitions were neccessary to create a thoroughfare between Kottanur Dinne (near Loyala High School) and the Meenakshi Temple Road and the public could now use the road and park inside the layout. They explained the High Court had on Friday dismissed a three year old case by Classic Orchards asking the BBMP to hand over its maintenance to the community association.
Angry residents, however, pointed out that while the High Court dismissed the case only on Friday, BBMP officials had arrived with the JCB and other machinery at around 10.30 pm Thursday and camped all night at the spot before bringing down the gates in the morning “Why was the BBMP in such a hurry to demolish our gates?” they demanded.
Meanwhile, asked why no action was taken against the apartment complex opposite Classic Orchards, a BBMP ward engineer said they had received no instructions to bring it down.
“The matter is before the town planning department and the Storm Water Drains division. We are aware that the apartment has encroached upon the drain, but we do not have any instructions to take action,” he admitted.
Don’t demolish 45 houses at Ideal Homes: High Court
A day after the Karnataka High Court passed a stay order in favour of former minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa-owned S.S. Hospital on Friday, it passed a similar order in respect of 45 residents of Ideal Homes Layout in Rajarajeshwarinagar, asking the authorities to not to dispossess or demolish the 45 houses till the completion of ongoing process.
They had approached the court challenging the notices issued to them following a report submitted by the tahsildar. The notice stated that the houses were constructed on the kharab land belonging to the government and the residents had to vacate the encroached property.
The authorities had issued notices under the Section 39 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act to all the 69 “encroachers” at Ideal Homes Layout in Rajarajeshwarinagar, including S.S. Hospitals and actor Darshan. Of the 69, around 45 residents – M.C. Balamurali and others – had approached the court challenging the notices issued to them.
