Bundh observed in Koramangala

Bundh observed in Koramangala
Deccan Herald

Even as a bundh was being observed in Koramangala on Monday, the High Court ordered the BMP and BDA to continue the crackdown on those violating building by-laws and zonal....

“We are not the only ones. We have only followed the trend that was on in old Bangalore areas -Gandhinagar, Chikpet and others. Let the action begin from there,” argues Mr Sanjeev Reddy, Vice President, Koramangala Welfare Association (KWA).

Even as a bundh was being observed in Koramangala on Monday, the High Court ordered the BMP and BDA to continue the crackdown on those violating building by-laws and zonal regulations.

The bundh was being observed in the wake of the BMP’s crackdown on four buildings in Koramangala III and V blocks on Saturday.

Most of the commercial establishments remained closed across Koramangala on account of the bundh. Towards evening, efforts were also on by a section of people running IT-related businesses and services in the area, to team up with the residents.

Here is what some of the protesting residents had to say:

n “At the rate that things are moving, the whole of Bangalore will have to be demolished. The government should intervene and regularise the existing structures. It can collect a penalty for violation” said Mr Ramesh Reddy, General Secretary, KWA.

n “We have not built our houses on unauthorised property. hard earned money, a lifetime’s savings, have been spent by us,” said a resident, not wanting to be identified.

DEVIATIONS APLENTY

It is learnt that the BMP has found deviations ranging from 1.48 per cent to 25.08 per cent in the buildings owned by or related to the petitioners who originally initiated the case in the High Court.

Two of the petitioners have failed to furnish the sanctioned plan to the authorities.

A resident near the I Main Road Jakkasandra does not even hold a sanctioned plan for his building.

In the 188 buildings that the BMP has surveyed till date along with the 87 buildings that the petitioners themselves had pointed out, deviations high as 93 per cent and 212 per cent too have been found.

Of the 67 parties to whom the BMP has served confirmatory orders thus far, one party has voluntarily set right the violation before the expiry of the notice period. The building reportedly belonged to one Mr A L Narayana housed along 5th Main, I Block, Koramangala. “The violation in his building was 38 per cent, he has corrected it now. If people resort to such self-help measures, we need not go on demolition drives” noted a BMP official.