'Cantilevers not according to BBMP specification'

'Cantilevers not according to BBMP specification'
Bangalore, DHNS:
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) apparently had a strong reason to order the removal of the Cantilevers (advertisement pillars), a day after they were erected on M G Road and Residency Road.

As the BBMP Commissioner Dr S Subramanya explained, they were not according to the Palike’s specification. But the Palike is now faced with a bigger problem: Recovering the Rs. 8.4 lakh paid as advance to the agency that erected the structures.

The BBMP commissioner said that the Palike’s vision was to beautify sidewalks of prominent roads by placing flower plants. “We have put up some flower plants in the premises of BBMP head office and Vidhana Soudha. Plants with white flowers beautify the place. On those lines the Palike took up beautification of sidewalks as a pilot project on MG Road, Residency Road and Bellary Road”, he said.

As per the pilot project, flower plants were to be placed on sidewalks. Advertisement company was allowed to place a small advertisement board in the centre of the pot. “But what the company, which got the tender, installed were huge structures. It did not take clearance for structures from the Palike before placing them”, he said.

The Commissioner said he would direct the concerned officials to submit a report on damage done to sidewalks due to installation and removal of structures. and based on the report further action will be taken.

Meanwhile, highly placed sources in the Palike told Deccan Herald that a few months back, an order was given to Alesh Collection to design and erect some flower pots alongside the footpaths on MG Road and Residency Road. “An advance amount of Rs 8.4 lakh was paid. The contract was for 3 years. Now our task will be to recover the amount,” an official said. “Our idea was that the flower pots should be like those in Mumbai. We never expected such ugly pillars,” said the officer.

Asked about the Palike’s recovery plan, the officer said: “We have seized 122 pillars. That is the only surety, we have now”.