Bengaluru
Amid an anti-encroachment drive by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), several property owners who have now been termed encroachers, including IT giant Wipro, have protested, arguing their building plans were approved by the city’s civic body, who after many years suddenly turned up claiming the buildings were encroaching storm-water drains (SWDs). Many property owners not only have sanctioned plans, but occupancy certificates (OCs) as well.
Sanctioned plans and OCs are documents town planning officials are mandated to issue only after a thorough spot inspection of the site for building bylaw violations, encroachments, and other violations.
The fact that JCBs are now at the buildings, whose owners have all these certificates, is a testament that they were issued without proper inspection.
Civic activists allege a systemic breakdown of town planning and its regulation is at the core of this mess. Earlier studies have also indicated lax implementation of master plans drawn up by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).
“If authorities like the BBMP and the BDA were correct and diligent in their planning and giving of approvals, such floods would not have happened,” said lake conservation activist V. Ramprasad.
“There is systematic corruption and mismanagement in town planning, whereby officials give approvals to builders, who have encroached upon SWDs and lakes, without going for spot checks,” says Srinivas Alavilli, head of Civic Participation in Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy.
Officials should be held accountable
There has been a clamour for holding officials, who gave clearance for these projects, accountable.
“What happens to those who had approved these land for constructions and what action has been taken so far against those officials who are issuing approvals after taking money?” said Mr. Alavilli.
In 2016, during a similar encroachment clearance drive, the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force booked FIRs against 20 officials, including those retired, from the BBMP and the BDA for permitting buildings on SWDs. However, the cases went nowhere and no official was convicted, sources said.
Wipro and Puravankara say they abide by the laws
Days after the BBMP mentioned that Wipro had encroached on a SWD, the company said that their campus in Doddakannelli is as per the sanctioned plan. The company said: “Wipro abides by the laws of every jurisdiction where it does business and adheres to the highest standards of integrity. The Wipro campus in Doddakannelli is as per sanctioned plan. We have not received any notice from BBMP".
A day after BBMP Chief Civic Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath alleged that along with Bagmane Tech Park, Purva Parkridge of Puravankara Limited has encroached upon a SWD, Abhishek Kapoor, CEO, Puravankara Limited, said in a statement: “Nothing illegal has been done while constructing Purva Parkridge as claimed by Bagmane Group. The project was executed in line with the sanctioned plan, approved by the BDA as per the Comprehensive Development Plan”.
Demolition drive in 29 places
On the fourth day of the encroachment clearance drive, the BBMP removed structures in 29 places in the Mahadevapura, the Yelahanka, the Bomanahalli, and the Dasarahalli zones.
According to BBMP officials, they have also started a survey in Vagdevi Layout, Munnekollal, Kasavanahalli village, ABK village, Prestage tech park, Wipro, Sunny Brooks in Doddakannelli, Belathur village, Sadaramangala, Bollineni Silas apartment, and Sai Garden layout. “After completing the survey, we will start issuing notice to these properties,” officials added.
