Bengaluru: Chaotic scenes prevailed at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Council meeting on Monday as Congress members demanded the suspension of Mr Umesh Shetty, Bharatiya Janata Party corporator from Nagarabhavi ward, who alleged that Mayor Padmavathi, Commissioner Manjunath Prasad and the Palike ruling party were protecting the irregularities committed by Mantri Developers.
Mr Shetty alleged, “Mantri Developers had purchased 13.5 acres from the National Textiles Cooperative. But while applying for khata, Mantri sought 19 acres, including 3.18 acres from the government that had been set aside for a road. When then BBMP commissioner Jothiramalingam ordered recovery of 3.18 acre land, the developers brought a stay which is still on."
He alleged that Mantri Square Mall in Malleswaram, which became a subject of discussion after a parapet wall of the mall collapsed on Jan 16, has illegally converted the basement area allotted for car parking into commercial units.
He demanded an answer from Ms Padmavathi and Mr Manjunath Prasad on how trade licences were issued to units running their business in the basement.
He claimed that the expert committee report on the accident at Mantri Mall has already reached the developers and the report will come in their favour. “The Mayor, commissioner and ruling party are helping the developer cover up the irregularities,” he alleged. Immediately, Congress and BJP members indulged in a shouting match and blamed each other for today's situation at Mantri mall.
Hookah bars
“The BBMP has raided 14 hookah bars and shut their operations. But they open the very next day. Are the BBMP workers supporting hookah bar owners,” asked DJ Halli corporator Sampath Raj and demanded that the BBMP close down over 400 hookah bars in the city. Palike Commissioner Manjunath Prasad said, “All those units which obtained trade licences to run cafe or hotel, but illegally running hookah joints will be closed with immediate effect.”
Pass order
To close down hookah bars permanently, adjudication order has to be passed, he said.
