Crusading Koramangala residents get police cover

Crusading Koramangala residents get police cover
The Hindu

Police have provided security to the eight residents of Koramangala, whose petition in the High Court has led to bulldozing of buildings violative of zonal regulations in the area.

Police have provided security to the eight residents of Koramangala, whose petition in the High Court has led to bulldozing of buildings violative of zonal regulations in the area.

The security cover is a precautionary measure in view of the residents’ ire against the crackdown. Also, police have intensified patrolling in the area to prevent any untoward incidents.

The special measures have been taken in view of Saturday’s demolition of four buildings, sources said.

On Friday, efforts to get the government to intervene in the case continued. Residents and elected representatives of the area met Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H K Patil and submitted a memorandum.

Meanwhile, a team of Koramangala residents including the petitioners are understood to have met the Governor on Thursday. According to sources, Governor T N Chaturvedi too was apprised of the developments and the situation arising out of the case.

BJP’s appeal

Meanwhile at a press conference, the BJP on Friday urged the State government to promulgate an Ordinance to regularise building plan deviations up to a maximum of 25 per cent in Bangalore to relieve house owners of the threat of demolition of such structures.

BJP MLAs R Ashok and Katta Subramanya Naidu expressed fears that nearly 80 per cent of the buildings in Bangalore might have to be demolished going by the precedence set by the High Court, which ordered Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority to demolish buildings in Koramangala violative of building plans.

They pointed out that a Bill had been passed by both Houses of the Legislature two years ago seeking regularisation of structures with less than 25 per cent violations. But, the Governor has suggested some changes which had not been incorporated yet. They urged the Government to promulgate an Ordinance incorporating those changes. The legislators urged the Government to regularise deviations for a penalty.

All the party legislators from Bangalore would meet Chief Minister N Dharam Singh on Saturday to convince him about the need to promulgate such an Ordinance, they said.