Civic groups oppose regularisation of plan deviations

Civic groups oppose regularisation of plan deviations

Afshan Yasmeen

‘We will fight unitedly against the system’

Government all set to regularise deviations from September 15

Panel discussion organised on Master Plan and new regularisation rules

BANGALORE: The garden in front of Padmini Suresh’s house on Berlie Street in Langford Town has not been flowering for the past one year. Even hibiscus plants that commonly grow in the city do not flower in this garden.

Reason: the house next to hers overshadows her garden as the legally stipulated minimal space between the two buildings has not been maintained.

Similar is the case with Rajni Seetharam’s house on 6th Main Road in Govindrajnagar.

“With our neighbour’s wall overshadowing our house, there is hardly any room for ventilation or sunlight,” Ms. Seetharam says.

These are two simple examples of building bylaw violations in the city.

With the State Government all set to regularise such deviations and even gross violations of bylaws from September 15 by implementing the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Regularisation of Unauthorised Development or Constructions) Rules 2007, residents are worried.
Invasion of privacy

Opposing the new rules, especially the clause pertaining to the regularisation of change in land use, several civic groups are doing their best to get them revoked. “If the rules are implemented, it will not only disturb peaceful living but also invade residents’ privacy. The rules will allow an IT firm to operate from a residential area. What would be the plight of the residents if more than 60 vehicles are parked in their area? It is illegal and we will not allow its implementation,” Mathew Thomas of Citizen’s Action Forum (CAF) told The Hindu.

“The whole concept is illegal and it has been scrapped by the courts in Delhi and Chennai. The Bangalore model could be an improvised version of the other cities. But it is as though theft is being regularised. Can that be possible in a civilised society,” he asked.

“If the law-breakers are allowed to do what they want to, what is the use of the Bangalore Development Authority’s Revised Master Plan and the zoning regulations? The rules will actually help the law-breakers to continue violating and the law-abiding to suffer,” Kathyayini Chamaraj of CIVIC Bangalore said.
Who will check?

Major Promod Kapur of CAF wanted to know: “Who will check whether the violations of a particular applicant are beyond the permissible extent of 25 per cent (commercial) and 50 per cent (residential). Is there a machinery to check this? If such a system existed, there would not have been any violations in the first place.”

CIVIC Bangalore along with CAF and The Koramangala Initiative will unitedly fight against all these issues and ensure that the rules are not implemented.

“We will explore all avenues to stall the implementation and if required we will also approach the court,” Ms. Chamaraj said.
Discussion

These organisations have also organised a panel discussion on the Master Plan and the new regularisation rules with top officials from the Urban Development Department, the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

“We will question the authorities as to why they have not incorporated any of the suggestions and objections pointed out by residents. We want to know the rationale behind this unilateral decision taken by the Government. We will demand that the rules be revoked,” she added.