Slums mushrooming in City

Slums mushrooming in City
By R Venkatesh, DH News Service, Bangalore:
New slums are mushrooming in the heart of the City. Are politicians, corporators, small-time goons and government engineers patronising the illegal settlements?


Thanks to a communication gap between the Bangalore Development Authority and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, hundreds of workers, who were hired for laying of the Indiranagar-Koramangala intermediate ring road, have settled down in the City in temporary structures and are harassing the residents of Ward 77, Amarajyothi Housing Board Cooperative Society (West Wing) at Domlur.

Even the access road leading to the famous Surya Narayana temple is not being spared. Illegal occupants have blocked the road leading to the temple.

The layout is now divided into two halves. Interestingly, even as the BDA and the BBMP are playing the blame game, the Palike has sanctioned Rs 74 lakh for the formation and metalling of the roads of the Layout.

However, unless the encroachers are evicted, the road will not see the light of the day. Politicians, corporators and small-time goons, who operate in the name of NGOs, are having the last laugh, for they have cashed in on the situation, aiding the mushrooming of the illegal settlements.

Col N P Nair (retd), president of the association, told Deccan Herald: “Politicians and government officials enjoy fishing in troubled waters.

They are demanding money (Rs 1- 2 crore) to re-locate them. Initially, there were 27 structures, and every day it is swelling, and I believe they are paying Rs 500 to Rs 1000 as rent.

Clean city, green city and not to mention, “development” of the city, are the buzzwords for any political party. Forget clearing old slums, new encroachers are craning their neck in the heart of the City”.

“For no fault of ours we are blackmailed, and vacant sites are converted into rest rooms. After paying large sums, I am unable to go near my plot, says Dr Jayaram who is practising in Chicago and plans to return to the City for the good. Engineers and officials are hand in glove in creating space for the illegal settlements.

Deccan Herald is in possession of the letters/plan etc wherein the BDA in its letter vide BDA/EM/E03/TA/1E/122 dated May 26, 2008 has clearly stated that the layout is being handed over to the BBMP on January 2, 2006. To make things clear, the SP of the BDA special task force, Mr Swamy, inspected the area on August 23, 2008 and submitted the report re-confirming that the Layout had been handed over to the BBMP and now it was their baby.