BJP's Operation Demolition: Congressmen biggest encroachers

2,300 residential and commercial complexes, 29 tech parks and 30 malls are sitting on lake buffer zones and storm water drains on properties that are worth over Rs 1.2 lakh crore at present valuation. Even as the BBMP is bulldozing its way through targeting the poor and throwing them on the street, it is sparing big-ticket builders and influential personalities. BJP city spokesman N.R. Ramesh alleged that among these biggies are top leaders of the Congress, whose properties have escaped the hammer.

The BJP broke its silence on the BBMP's ongoing demolition drive with its senior leader, N R Ramesh on Wednesday accusing the Congress government of turning a blind eye to properties of its own partymen encroaching on storm water drains and lake beds in the city while targeting the poor and leaving them homeless.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Ramesh claimed former minister and  Sarvajnanagar MLA, K. J. George, Chamarajpet MLA, R. V. Devaraj,  former minister, Shamanur Shivashankarappa and MP, M. V. Rajiv Gowda were guilty of encroaching on  drains and  buffer zones around lakes, but were facing no action from the authorities.

Whatever the law is, it should be followed. There is a judgement, which should be adhered to
Prof. M. V. Rajeev Gowda, MP

Launching a blistering attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,  he alleged the BBMP and the state government had deliberately avoided taking action against these politicians, and major builders and developers.

Claiming that Mr George, until recently city development minister, who was a promoter of the Embassy Group, was already facing charges of encroaching on a SWD for one of his projects in the Challaghatta valley, he regretted no action had been taken against him still despite this.

“It is ironical that Congress MLA, N. A. Harris, who is a member of the lake committee, has himself  encroached on the Miller Tank bund near Queen’s Road.  Shamanur Shivashankarappa  supported the encroachment of a raja kaluve and a buffer zone at Kenchenahalli in Rajarajeshwarinagar zone to build the SS Hospital,” he charged, also accusing leaders like B. Gurappa Naidu and M. R. Seetharam of being guilty of encroaching  on lake beds and drains.  

If it is an encroachment it should be demolished
Shamanur Shivashankarappa, former minister

“If the Chief Minister fails to act against these politicians and major builders  we will file a criminal case against him. The services of officers, who supported the encroachers must be terminated and criminal cases filed against them too,” he demanded.

Asked why he was not targeting BJP leaders also guilty of encroachments, he claimed he had no information about their properties,   except the Garuda Mall, which was built on  a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis by the BBMP and a BJP leader, Uday Garudachar.

“But the BBMP itself  permitted this project,” he noted, adding that if received any complaint about the involvement of BJP leaders  in encroachments he would ferret out more information and make this public too.

BBMP has already started demolishing buildings built illegally on drains. If the encroachments are not cleared  there is bound to be flooding  in heavy rain and we will all be in trouble
N. A. Haris, MLA

People shout slogans, obstruct demolition
The BBMP, which targeted encroachments in Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Yelahanka and the south zone on Wednesday, had to call a halt to the demolition drive in  Doddabommanahalli as people stood in the way of its bulldozers, shouting slogans  and  demanding justice.

Despite the protests in some parts, a senior BBMP official said  the demolitions  would continue as planned in RR Nagar, Yelahanka, Mahadevapura and other zones of the city.

BMP Demolition

Meanwhile, the bulldozers went to work and recovered vacant land  in Kyalasanahalli and Horamavu in KR Puram under the Mahadevapura zone. A commercial complex with 25 shops built by the BBMP itself was also brought down.

While officials had marked 15 encroaching buildings in Panchasheelnagar, Halagevaderahalli in Rajarajeshwarinangar with red paint, the people here offered to carry out the demolitions or take corrective measures themselves.  

A retired deputy tahasildar, M. L. Gowda, who was among those targeted, argued the earthmovers would  damage the stability of his house and offered to  hire a private team to demolish the offending portion.

“The house was built in 2010 on the basis of an approved building plan. The authorities lack clarity on the extent of demolition, which varies from 2 to 6 meters, which is not right,” he said. Also facing BBMP heat was  a former BEML director.

In Doddabommasandra, Yelahanka zone, where the demolitions were carried out under the guidance of executive engineer, Yerrappa Reddy, as many as 120 buildings were marked for clearance along the storm water drain running from Vidyaranayapura  to BEL layout.

Portion of four-month-old house razed
It was only four months ago that the family had moved in after a house warming ceremony. But on Wednesday a portion of the house was brought down. “It was heart-wrenching,”  said Mr Amarnath, who built the two-storied house in BEML Layout with his hard earned money and a loan.

“Had I known it was encroaching on a drain, I would not have built the house. The BBMP and the government must be organised and ensure that the public does not fall prey to cheaters. The survey is so unscientific. Who will compensate us for this loss?” he demanded, adding  it was  unfortunate that he had to spend from his own pocket  for the demolition too.

• Waving documents, BJP city unit spokesperson, N. R. Ramesh claimed on Wednesday that  2,300 residential and commercial complexes had come up on buffer zones of lakes in the city and a number of IT/BT companies, 29 tech parks and 30 malls and complexes were built on storm water drains.
• Charging that the Orion Mall, Brigade Gateway, Elita Promenade, RMZ Infinity, Manyata, Prestige Shantinikethan, UB City, Sobha Indraprastha and Prestige Fern Residency were all encroaching on public property, he claimed they had been deliberately omitted from the list of buildings to be bulldozed.
• Wondering why these major complexes and malls found no mention in the list of encroachers on the BBMP’s official website, he asked. “Why is the BBMP going after the small fry when major encroachers continue to illegally occupy acres of land?”
• In his estimate of all the encroached lake areas, drains and buffer zones were recovered, the BBMP could be richer by Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
• Although the state government has slapped criminal cases, and cases under the Karnataka Land Revenue and KMC Acts against 20 officials for allowing builders and developers to encroach upon lakes, drains and buffer zones,  BJP leader, N. R. Ramesh claimed there were 65 such officers and demanded  criminal action against them.
• He also suggested that the government help  the poor, who had lost their houses in the demolition drive, by getting the builders and developers responsible for their plight, to compensate them.