Yeddy blesses law breakers

Yeddy blesses law breakers
By: B V Shiva Shankar
Date: 2008-09-15

Bangalore:



Make way for new: B S Yeddyurappa will lay the foundation stone for a swanky Engineers Bhavan today Pic/Vinod Kumar T
Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa will lay the foundation stone today for a swanky building that doesn't care about BBMP bylaws.

Karnataka Engineering Service Association's new office, Engineer Bhavan, is coming up next to the PWD chief engineer's office, but its plan has not been approved by the BBMP.

Government engineers, mostly from the public works department, reportedly forgot to get the plan approved by the municipal corporation, but have promptly invited many VIPs to the foundation stone-laying ceremony.

The Karnataka Municipal Council Act says a licensed building plan must be obtained before work on any building begins. Government buildings are not exempted.

Association officials aren't losing any sleep over the lapse. B Peethambara Swamy, president of the association, told MiD DAY, "The chief architect of the government has himself given us the plan for the building. So I don't think not taking approval from the BBMP is such a serious lapse."

Breaking the law

Not everyone agrees with Peethambara Swamy. L Vasudevamurthy, social activist, believes no one is above the law.

"Government engineers who must keep an eye on building bylaw violations are themselves violating norms," he said. Vasudevamurthy plans to move the high court if they continue to ignore the law.

Vasudevamurthy had filed a public interest litigation case in 1999 when Bangalore University built a convention hall without getting an approved plan. The high court had then ruled that no building would be exempted from the law.

Vasudevamurthy is appalled that the chief minister is endorsing such a violation. But officials at the chief minister's office said, "It has not come to his notice."

The foundation stone laying ceremony for Engineer Bhavan coincides with the birth anniversary of the engineering genius Sir M Visweswaraya. It is observed as Engineers' Day.

Yeddyurappa and his cabinet colleagues Shobha Karandlaje, C M Udasi, Govind Karajola, and Basavaraja Bommai are expected to attend today's bash.

BBMP commissioner S Subramanya said, "They better get approval before starting construction, or we will have to take action."