Koliwad panel for tough action against builders in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Mincing no words, Mr K.B. Koliwad, chairman of the House Committee on Lake Encroachments said his committee would recommend to the government to take tough action including seizure of the personal property of builders and even jail those who built houses and distributed sites on lakes and rajakaluves in and around the city making a mockery of the law and hoodwinking innocent buyers.

Mr Koliwad, who is also Speaker of the Assembly, told reporters that he would order an investigation to identify officials who worked hand in glove with builders and encouraged formation of sites by encroaching upon tank beds and rajakaluves.

“I personally feel such officers must be dismissed from service and sent to jail,  imprisoning 8-10 of them will be a lesson for everyone. You just wait and watch to see what stringent action will be recommended to the government against encroachers, builders and officers.”

The committee will be getting the list of encroachers of buffer zone of lakes and rajakaluves on August 11 which would be put in the public domain for the benefit of citizens. The details were essential since the National Green Tribunal has fixed a boundary within which concrete structures are allowed.

"They may be joint commissioners or commissioners, if they are responsible for the encroachments of lakes and rajakaluves in buffer zones by forging documents, they must be mercilessly punished. My stand is clear..all encroachments must be removed without any mercy to prevent Bengaluru from becoming another Chennai. For this, some people have to make sacrifices,” he added.

Final report
Mr Koliwad said the Lake committee is expected to submit its final report to the government by the last week of October.  The draft committee is preparing the report which will contain pictures of existing lakes, extent of encroachments and list of encroachers.