Eviction notices to illegal occupants

Eviction notices to illegal occupants

The Hindu

We want encroachments removed quickly: BDA

# The notices were issued the day after the Chief Minister inspected Puttenahalli
# Occupants given 10 days to move out
# After the deadline, the structures will be demolished
# BDA has used satellite imagery to prepare list of encroaching structures

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has issued eviction notices to residents of 27 houses in Puttenahalli for having encroached on government land.

The notices were issued on Monday, the day after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy inspected the area. The BDA has given the illegal occupants 10 days to move out following which it will demolish the houses.

"We want the encroachments removed quickly, especially before the next spell of rain as they hinder the flow of water," said M.N. Vidyashankar, BDA Commissioner.

He said once the encroachments are removed, water stagnation and flooding will be reduced. "Many of the structures are built over storm water drains and (they) prevent the natural flow of water," he added.

Using satellite imagery, the BDA has been able to list out encroaching structures in several parts of the city. The BDA, assisted by the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force and the Deputy Commissioner, Urban, has removed encroachments from Hebbal and some from Nagavara valley. Over 23 pieces of property valued at over Rs. 40 crores were recovered through these drives. It has removed more than 23 structures in the Bhadrappa valley area and more than 20 structures in Nayandanahalli area that had encroached on government land.

After removing the encroachments from Puttenahalli, the BDA will than tackle the encroachments in the Nagavara valley once again. Although, the BDA did remove some of the encroaching structures the previous time, some of the builders got a stay order from court. "Once the stay order is vacated we plan to tackle the area once again," said Mr. Vidyashankar.

After removing encroachments from these two valleys, the BDA and the task force plan to clear up the Dodda and Chikka Begur and Singasandra lakes. The work on clearing encroachments will go on till the end of March.

Civil works

The BDA has cleared a contract to build a road from the Ganesha Temple in Puttenahalli to Kanakapura Road. The contractor will build the five-kilometre stretch of road. The estimated cost of the project is Rs. 12 crores. Work is to be completed in six-and-a-half months.

The BDA has also issued for the fourth time tenders for the 3.5-km stretch of road between Inchara Hotel and the Ganesha Temple in Puttenahalli. The estimated cost of the work is Rs. 8.3 crores.