BMP demolishes unauthorised structures at Arundhati Park in Srirampura

BMP demolishes unauthorised structures at Arundhati Park in Srirampura
The Hindu

Occupants were mostly employees of the civic body



CLEARED: An earthmover demolishing unauthorised structures at Arundhati Park in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K.Gopinathan

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) officials on Tuesday demolished unauthorised structures in BMP's Arundhati Park in Sriramapura. The occupants, most of them employees of the BMP, were vacated and asked to shift to the houses constructed for them.

It was nearly 10 years ago that the BMP asked about 95 families of its employees to temporarily reside in the structures in the park till the completion of the construction of houses by the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB).

After two years, the employees were asked to occupy the KHB houses by vacating the houses in the park. But the employees, according to a BMP official, continued to stay in the houses in the park by giving the KHB houses on rent. They allegedly used political pressure to stall attempts to vacate the occupants, the official said.

On Tuesday, the BMP's Rapid Action Force, accompanied by police, went to the spot with three JCBs. It took nearly five hours for them to clear the unauthorised occupants. During the operation, some residents told the BMP officials there are no adequate facilities in the KHB houses.

The officials, in turn, promised of asphalting the road leading to the KHB houses and also provide drainage facilities.