Koramangala: BMP files caveats

Koramangala: BMP files caveats

The Hindu

Promises action in building bylaw violation

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) on Wednesday filed caveats in the civil and High Court seeking to be heard before an interim stay is given to owners, builders and tenants of buildings in Koramangala against whom it has issued notices for violation of building bylaws, illegal change in land use and encroachment.

In its caveat application, the BMP pointed out that as per the High Court order, it had decided to take action against those violating building norms in Koramangala area. It said notices had been issued to such owners under Section 321 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act.

The BMP has filed 73 caveats in the civil and High Court. The BMP action in issuing notices and filing caveats follows a direction by a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Nauvdip Kumar Sodhi, and Justice N. Kumar.

The Bench had taken the BMP to task for building violations, change in land use and deviations from the sanctioned plan in Koramangala and directed the BMP to undertake a survey of all buildings in Koramangala and submit within November 7, an action taken report (ATR).

Noting that almost all buildings pointed out by the petitioners and surveyed jointly by the BMP and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had shown violations, the court asked the BMP to take action to set right the deviations by issuing notices and filing caveats in courts to prevent the house owners and tenants from seeking interim stay.

The court had restrained the State Government from permitting any change in land use in Koramangala and directed the BDA and the State Government to furnish within two weeks a list of buildings in Koramangala where change in land use has been allowed from April 1.

The court passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by several residents of Koramangala alleging blatant violations of building norms, illegal change in land use and deviations from the sanctioned plan in the area. The petitioners had listed 87 violations in several blocks of Koramangala and said repeated representations to the authorities to take action had fallen on deaf ears. They said restaurants and other establishments had encroached on footpaths and commercial buildings had come up on residential sites. The zoning regulations had been given a go-by.

The BMP is going ahead with the survey of all buildings in Koramangala to try and find out if there are any violations.