Residents take on pvt builder, get notices from Palike

They made it bold to take on a private builder with the Lokayukta. Sure enough, a blustered BBMP gave them a rap on their knuckle, serving a notice on them, in return. 

But residents of Bhuvaneshwarinagar at Dasarahalli, off Hebbal, are not ones to be easily cowed down by the BBMP’s browbeating tactics. 

Ten residents, on noticing an alleged ‘illegal’ construction in their locality, failing to elicit right response to their complaint from BBMP, were left with no recourse, but approach the Lokayukta against the private builder, which they naturally did.

When the Upa Lokayukta acted on their complaint, the irked BBMP could now swallow the slight.

“The construction had started two months ago. The road width is just 27 ft, while pillars were just 3 ft away from road. We suspected gross violation of byelaws and setback. 

“We received a reply from the Additional Director of Town Planning (North), stating that the building doesn’t have any approval from Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. As per zoning regulation of the Revised Master Plan-2015, the building falls in the land use zone category – Ring III,’’ said Ravindran, a complainant. 

As per the norms, multi-dwelling units are allowed only on plots with a dimension of more than 750 square metre, while the building in question is being constructed on 618 sq mt plot, the complainants alleged. 

Taking note of the complaint, the Upa Lokayukta directed BBMP to furnish details. However, BBMP officials, on the contrary, issued notices to all 10 complainants, stating their houses were constructed in violation of rules and without approved plans.

Approval plans

“We constructed our houses when the Dasarahalli Panchayat was in existence. The area got merged with BBMP in 2007. “We have been paying taxes in accordance with the guidelines issued. We also submitted the approval plans to the BBMP upon receiving notices,” they said.

Complaint filed in Aug

The notices were issued by the assistant executive engineer and assistant engineer after the complaint was filed with the Upa Lokayukta in August.

BBMP officials were blindered in their reaction that notices were sent only by looking at the list of complainants in the copy before Upa Lokayukta. 

For, two complainants — Krishnan and Steven — are not house owners. “This shows the BBMP has not even verified its own records before issuing notices.“ The notice was issued to me, whereas the house is in my wife’s name. Even the loan is in her name. Same is it with Steven. Since we approached Upa Lokayukta against one builder, the BBMP chose to notice us, whereas thousands of houses were built when the area was under Dasarahalli Panchayat,” 69-year-old Krishnan said. 

Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi said he has asked the BBMP to submit records on notices issued to the residents.