BBMP bulldozers hit roadblock

Bengaluru: BBMP which tried to put its bulldozers back in action, after getting an earful from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not clearing encroachments, were sent away by residents in RT Nagar on Wednesday.

When BBMP officials tried to enter the premises of White House Apartments and Patel’s Inn at R.T. Nagar, they were stopped by hundreds of angry residents.

Ms Bahirat, a resident of the White House apartment, told Deccan Chronicle, "On Tuesday night we found marking being done on the compound walls of our apartment. We have been living in this apartment since 2000 and all of a sudden BBMP officials on Wednesday came with tractors, bulldozers to raze part of our apartment."

We had no clue on why the marking was done. When we questioned the officials they said that a portion of our apartment complex was sitting over a storm water drain, Ms Bahirat said and added that when she tried to question what the officials were doing all these years, a BBMP official is said to have replied that they were in deep sleep all these years, which upset the already angry residents there.

Ms Krittika said that residents have sought time from the BBMP officials to figure out what is really happening and who is at fault. "One of our team has headed to meet BBMP Commissioner. Others are getting in touch with our builder to figure out our next course of action."

If the marked areas are razed we will lose connectivity to the basement parking area. We may also lose crucial water and power lines, Krittika added.

When DC contacted Basavarajappa, executive engineer, BBMP East zone, he said, "According to the survey carried out by Joint Director of Land Records, White House Apartment has encroached over 9.5 guntas and Patels Inn has encroached 6.5 guntas. The compound wall, internal roads are encroached at White House, while in Patel’s Inn, an auditorium and labourers' quarters were sitting on SWD."

Residents intervened and prevented our officials us from doing their duty. Some of the representatives of the association had held meeting with BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, Basavarajappa said and added that based on the directions from higher ups actions will be initiated. 

Krittika Shankar, committee member of White House Apartment Association said, "For the past 16 years we have been living here and one fine morning all residents wake up to see bulldozers waiting at the gate to raze our apartment."

BBMP officials managed to demolish a small portion of compound wall of Patel's Inn.