Day 2: Sadashivnagar clean-up speeds up
Drive will be taken up at K'mangala, I'nagar: BBMP official.
Bengaluru: A day after BBMP officials sealed the premises of illegal commercial units operating out of residential areas of Sadashivanagar, the residents hoped the drive will not be short lived one and the government will show the political will to carry it out across the city. On Wednesday BBMP officials sealed the premises of seven commercial units in Sadashivanagar.
The residents claimed they have been fighting for the cause and pressuring officials to carry out city wide drive, but they fear this drive may stop during the time of general elections. They wanted such illegal establishments to be weeded out as soon as possible.
A representative of a resident welfare association (RWA) told Deccan Chronicle on condition of anonymity, “We have been fighting to save residential areas from the onslaught of commercial units from almost a decade. But we have not succeeded. After the matter went to the high court we expected action on ground.”
He lamented that BBMP issued thousands of individual notices to these shops, mainly to avoid facing the ire of the court and did not take any further action.
A delegation of RWAs recently met Deputy Chief Minister Dr G. Parameshwar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister. He had assured that action will be taken and officials have already started the crackdown. After Sadashivanagar, they raided few establishments in Rajajinagar on Thursday, the representative said.
He wished that this drive does not end abruptly like the earlier one against storm water drain encroachments drive.
A top BBMP official told Deccan Chronicle that the drive will not stop and by February-end city residents would be able to live peacefully as we have planned massive drives across other localities such as Indiranagar, Koramangala, Malleswaram and other areas.
RWAs put up boards
The Resident Welfare Associations had themselves erected boards, which clearly stated that BBMP public notice issued on December 6 and Karnataka High Court in writ petition 3637/2008, which prohibits commercial use of buildings in the residential areas. Over 17 RWAs across the city put boards.