300 structures set to face BMP axe

300 structures set to face BMP axe
The Times of India

Bangalore: An olfactory offensive lavatory at Jayanagar 4th Block has metamorphosed into a chai shop, a horse-gram littered tonga stand at Ulsoor is now a telephone booth!
Prima facie, they are both encroachments. And, there are 300 such cases in Bangalore city limits alone. A comprehensive survey undertaken by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has enumerated 300 cases of unauthorised constructions and encroachments. These exclude the major buildings and structures with building deviations, these are not even by-law violations.
Officials explain that though there have been efforts aplenty for years now to take corrective action — read demolitions — they have somehow been truncated midway. “There is no need to issue notices to these encroachments, we plan to start demolitions from Saturday. It could go on for a week or more’’ they say. Sample the kind of encroachments — temples and other places of religious worship, HOPCOMS outlets whose lease has expired long ago, shops, private land owners who use adjacent land for putting up sheds and garages and booths. Apparently, the BMP has already had a meeting with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) whose task it is to assist in demolitions. A meeting held mid-week with all zonal officers has given the go-ahead for demolitions and has even calculated the exact measurements which need to be razed. For instance, if on a 30 feet x 40 feet site, some 10 feet is recorded as an encroachment, just that portion will be razed.
“We have policies on maintaining BMP properties. Once we reclaim the land, we can either rent it out to government departments or create our own offices. In some cases we are even allowed to have auctions, ’’ explain officials.
Time for th e pneumatic hammers and JCBs then.