Demolition: BJP leaders protest use of century old British maps

Bengaluru: A BJP delegation led by senior leaders, R. Ashok, Suresh Kumar and V. Somanna met BBMP Commissioner, N. Manjunath Prasad on Friday and demanded an end to  the demolition of the houses of the poor and middle class in the city  in the name of clearing storm water drains of encroachments.

Accusing the government of pushing hundreds of people on to the streets by  its “inhuman” bulldozing of homes, they claimed the setting up of special courts to try cases of encroachments and  punish those responsible, was nothing but an eyewash.

Demanding that the demolitions should be based on the city’s comprehensive development plan,  2015 and not century-old British maps, they insisted that until the confusion over the maps was cleared, there should be no fresh demolitions.  The BJP leaders, who submitted a memorandum to the BBMP, also  urged it to immediately announce a rehabilitation package for people  who had lost their properties and  warned that unless the officials responsible for allowing the encroachments were punished, they would intensify their  protest against the present eviction drive.