Residents oppose Sakrama scheme

Residents oppose Sakrama scheme
DH News Service, Bangalore:
Hundreds of residents are filing individual petitions addressed to Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court against Sakrama 2007 - scheme for regularisation of unauthorised constructions and developments.

Residents welfare associations of various layouts in JP Nagar, Sahakara Nagar, Marathhalli have decided to file individual petitions in three-four days.

Mr Ananthapadmanabhaiah, secretary of Nrupathunganagar Welfare Association, said two welfare associations of Bangalore and Citizen Welfare Forum of Mangalore have already filed Public Interest Litigations opposing the Sakrama. “Instead of filing more PILs it would be useful to file individual petitions addressed to the Chief Justice.

More than 1,000 residents of different associations have already prepared their petitions and all of them will be filed in three or four days”, he said.

Fee deterrent

The residents’ main argument is that the regularisation fee is hefty. According to the scheme, properties registered in erstwhile gram panchayats should be regularised. Mr Ananthapadmanabhaiah said, “We never knew that our areas would be part of greater Bangalore. Now the Palike is arguing that buildings built according to plan approved by gram panchayat are unauthorised.The state government is taxing us unnecessarily”, he said.

He also took serious exception to the Palike officers’ repeated statement that owners of unauthorised constructions would not get another more chance to regularise their property. “A popular government will be elected in a few months. I don’t understand on what grounds the Palike is treating it as last chance”, he said.

He also protested against the Palike’s threat of withdrawing electricity and water supply to properties which are not regularised.

Mr Ananthapadmanabhaiah said “Bescom and BWSSB are independent agencies. They are providing services against money collected from customers. The residents will also write to the Managing Director of Bescom and the Chairperson of BWSSB to clarify their stand regarding the Palike’s statement”.

Mr Ananthapadmanabhaiah who has drafted the petition says “There is a provision under the law that the CJ can consider individual petitions addressed to him as writ petitions. We are making use of that provision.”