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BBMP goes after commercial spaces in residential areas

Property owners must shut them down in a week or face action: Palike boss
Last Updated 08 January 2017, 19:06 IST

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is cracking down on property owners who have violated its zoning regulations.

The agency is issuing them individual notices seeking explanation for using residential properties for non-residential purpose or running commercial activities in residential areas.

The Palike will soon issue final orders to property owners, asking them to close down their unauthorised businesses and ventures in a week, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said. “If they fail to do so, we’ll ourselves shut them down. We will also take legal action against them,” he added.

In the first week of December 2016, the BBMP put out public notices, asking property owners to shut down their unauthorised businesses or face action. The notices stated that obtaining sanctioned plans for residential buildings, but running commercial activities was a violation of the Revised Master Plan 2015 as well as the zoning regulations. But not many property owners came forward to shut down their illegal businesses, said an official source in the BBMP.

Now, the BBMP has created a GIS map of all properties and is using it to collect information on properties that violate the master plan and zoning regulations. It also directed zonal officials to take action against the violators in the coming days, the source added.

RWAs tip off Palike

At a recent meeting, representatives of 20 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) gave the BBMP commissioner a list of commercial establishments being illegally run in residential areas. As many as 322 commercial establishments were identified in HRBR Layout, 2nd Block, alone, said Jude Rajesh Ferrao, from HRBR Layout RWA.

Zahid H Javali, a resident of HSR Layout, said, “A big commercial complex is coming up at the intersection of 15th ‘B’ Main 19th Cross and 18th Cross in Sector 3, HSR Layout, which is a complete residential area. Nothing has been done about it though we complained to BBMP officials.”

The commissioner said the objective of the public notice was to create an awareness among citizens about zoning regulations and the related laws. “We have just started the crackdown on the violators. Palike officials have met twice to brainstorm (the action),” he added.

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(Published 08 January 2017, 19:06 IST)

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