The Greater Bengaluru Authority will issue notices to owners of unkempt vacant plots and clean the sites if owners fail to act. Cleaning costs will be recovered through property tax, as Minister Krishna Byre Gowda orders action.
Owners of vacant plots within the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits may soon have to pay for cleaning their properties if they fail to keep them free of weeds, garbage and other waste. Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has directed officials to immediately issue notices to owners of unkempt vacant plots. If owners fail to take action after receiving the notices, civic authorities will clean the properties and recover the entire cost through the owners' property tax bills.
Only 20% Of Plot Owners Cleaned Their Properties
During a virtual meeting with senior officials, the minister noted that vacant plot owners had been given a deadline of August 22 to clean and maintain their properties. However, only around 20% of the owners voluntarily complied with the directive.
“Only about 20% of the owners voluntarily cleaned their plots. From now on, the five city corporations will step in and take up the cleaning work themselves,” he said.
Marshals And Health Inspectors To Serve Notices
Following the minister's directive, the Greater Bengaluru Authority will take the following steps:
- Identify vacant plots: Revenue officers will identify and prepare a list of vacant plots that are overgrown with weeds or filled with garbage.
- Issue notices: Marshals and Junior Health Inspectors will visit the properties and paste notices on the plots.
- Clean-up drive: The clean-up operation, using JCBs, tippers and tractors, will begin on Thursday across all five city corporations. The drive will be intensified from the following Monday.
- Recover cleaning costs: The entire cost of cleaning each property will be added to the owner's account and recovered along with the upcoming property tax.
Geo-Tagged Videos To Ensure Transparency
To ensure transparency and prevent errors or malpractice during the cleaning process, officials have been instructed to record geo-tagged videos of each plot before and after the work.
Bills submitted by contracting agencies will be cleared only after the video records have been verified. Officials have also been instructed to ensure that all collected waste and construction debris are transported to designated waste processing facilities rather than being dumped elsewhere.
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Citizens Can Complain Through The ‘Clear It’ App
The entire process will be monitored through the ‘Clear It’ mobile app, developed by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited. Citizens have also been encouraged to participate in the initiative by reporting unkempt and garbage-filled vacant plots in their neighbourhoods.
Residents can file complaints through the app by uploading photographs of the affected properties, allowing authorities to identify neglected vacant plots and take appropriate action.
Senior Officials Attend Meeting
The meeting was attended by Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, along with the commissioners of the five city corporations: Ramesh D.S., Pommala Sunil Kumar, Ramesh K.N., G. Jagadeesh and Dr Rajendra K.V.
Karigowda, CEO of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited, and other senior officials of the Greater Bengaluru Authority were also present at the meeting.
