Dhananjay Kumar accused of encroaching BBMP park land

Dhananjay Kumar accused of encroaching BBMP park land

Nagesh Prabhu
The BJP leader has erected a temporary structure on the land

Dhananjay Kumar says he obtained permission from the BBMP to park vehicles there

— Photo: K Murali Kumar

Whose land is it anyway?: The shed constructed by V. Dhananjay Kumar allegedly on land belonging to the BBMP at Vijayanagar in Bangalore.
Bangalore: A complaint has been made to the Lokayukta against senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Karnataka Government’s Special Representative in New Delhi V. Dhananjay Kumar charging him with encroaching on a piece of land belonging to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in front of his house in Vijayanagar in the city.

Mr. Kumar, it is said, has allegedly encroached a site (No 39) measuring 40x60 ft situated on 16th Main Road, Nandadeepa Layout, Ward No. 35, Marenahalli, Vijayangar. The encroached land has been notified as a park and Mr. Kumar, who is residing in front of the park, has erected a temporary structure for parking his vehicles. In a complaint to Karnataka Lokyukta N. Santosh Hegde, G. Venkatesh Bhovi, convenor, All India Dalit Front, Bangalore, has claimed that the BJP leader had encroached the site for parking his vehicles by erecting a shed.

Mr. Bhovi alleged that BBMP Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena has shown official favour by not removing the encroachment and urged the Lokayukta to intervene in the matter and take appropriate action against the Commissioner.

Speaking to The Hindu on Tuesday, Mr. Kumar said that he had not encroached the CA site and had obtained a permission from the BBMP to park his family’s motor vehicles.

Earlier, the site was full of garbage and despite several complaints the BBMP officials had not cleared the garbage.

Mr. Kumar said he had cleared all garbage and filth in the area and used the site for parking his vehicles. “In my house there is a parking area for only two cars. Instead of parking mine, my son’s and son-in-law’s cars on the road, I used the CA site for parking 3 to 4 cars”.

Sources said the BBMP in a reply to the Lokayukta has stated that Mr. Kumar had been given temporary permission to park his vehicles in the said area. However, members of the Residents’ Welfare Association said the BBMP had promised to build a ward office there.

It would be of interest to know that in May 2009, the BBMP admitted before the Karnataka Information Commission that it would fence the site and use it as a park for the benefit of the general public within two months. Now, there is a board erected that the site belongs to the BBMP and action would be taken against encroachers.