While making it clear that the encroachment removal exercise taken up by the authorities in Bengaluru will be a continuous process, Revenue Minister R. Ashok said the government will not discriminate against rich, poor or middle class while removing the encroachments upon rajakaluves or storm-water drains.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Mysuru on Tuesday to participate in Modi Yug Purush programme organised by former Minister and BJP MLA S.A. Ramdas, the Revenue Minister said successive governments take up the encroachment removal drive only when it rains, but stop the exercise after a week or 10 days. But, the State government has now decided to make the encroachment removal process a continuous one.
“Unless the exercise is continuous, the encroachments will come back. Not only will be encroachers return, fresh encroachment will also be made,” he said while claiming that the disaster caused on account of encroachment of storm-water drains is before everybody to see.
He said the encroachment removal exercise will not spare anyone irrespective of their status.
“The government comes under attack from the media when the encroachments made by the poor are removed. If the encroachments made by the rich are removed, the Congress will attack the government,” he claimed and said the government will not bother about the criticism and will go ahead with the encroachment removal exercise without any discrimination.
Mr. Ashok said the government can’t spare the encroachments made by the poor. “We can’t leave the encroachments made by the poor while remove the encroachments made by others. We won’t succeed in removing the encroachments,” he said adding that residents of thousands of houses will have to suffer even if one encroachment is spared. “There will be no soft corner for anybody”, he said.
Mr. Ashok said he had also spoken to the State Advocate General on issue of filing a caveat in the court with regard to taking forward the encroachment removal exercise.
Right now, the encroachment removal exercise was taking place in two zones of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which had been most affected by the flooding. The exercise will be expanded to other parts of Bengaluru in the coming days, he added.
