Residents up in arms against BCC s sealing operation

Shutdown in Koramangala
Residents up in arms against BCC s sealing operation
Doctors not spared
Vijay Times

Bangalore: One of the busiest and most upmarket localities of the City , Koramangala wore a deserted look on Thursday as shops and restaurants downed shutters in protest against the sealing the previous day of residential buildings used for commercial purposes.

Residents, both house owners and tenants, assembled in front of the BCC ward office to register their protest. Later , around 300 residents went to the BCC Commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum.

The protest was organised by the Koramangala Residents Association. W e submitted a memorandum to the Mayor and the Commissioner , said J Ramesh Reddy , general secretary of the association.

The BCC operation was in compliance with the High Court order on a petition by Koramangala residents which had listed 87 buildings which are either illegally constructed or used for commercial purposes.

M K Prabhu, a senior citizen who witnessed the operation, said, "I saw a commotion and realised that staff from the Corporation had come to seal the buildings. However , they couldn t make much headway as people started protesting.

With eight buildings sealed so far , anxious Koramangalites want to know why the area is being targeted when illegal constructions and commercialisation of residential buildings are prevalent not only in Koramangala but all over the City .

Among those affected by the BCC operation were two wellknown doctors of the area. Said Shashi Nayak, My husband Dr Prasant Nayak is a paediatrician and has been conducting his practice in a clinic in the garage of our residence for the past 28 years. In the booklet issued by the Corporation four years ago, it was mentioned that if someone builds a house and his son, being a doctor , has a practice there, it won t be considered commercialisation of a residential area. But the Corporation people came to seal our clinic on October 26 and we had to vacate the clinic in two hours.

They also sealed Dr Regi Thomas s eye clinic and another homoeopathy clinic.