Demolition drive: BBMP will proceed 'only with British maps'

Amid the sharp criticism from all quarters for its demolition drive to reclaim stormwater drains, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that the drive will go ahead based on the maps prepared by British and not on any other map.

 

"BBMP will go ahead based on the 1905 map and not on the CDP plan," the Commissioner added. 

 

"Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) is just a development plan. We cannot go ahead with the current demolition of encroachments on stormwater drains based on the CDP," he said. "Even today when one wants to claim the ownership of any property, he can do so only with the help of revenue records."

 

The existence of lakes, stormwater drains (SWD) and other details will be considered based on the revenue map, Manjunath added.

 

When the members of the city council demanded to know BBMP's stand on rehabilitating the victims of the anti-encroachment drive, Bengaluru Mayor Manjunath Reddy said

 

"There is no doubt that BBMP will rehabilitate the ones who lost their homes. But it will be done by giving prominence to poor. We have already started to collect information of the poor and innocent residents who lost their homes in the drive."

 

After hearing this, council members demanded that all the innocent people - rich or poor, who lost their property, be rehabilitated. "A rehabilitation plan will be charted out and the area corporator, MLA and MP will be part of the rehabilitation plan so that many including the poor get benefitted", Reddy assured the members of the council.

 

Further, the members demanded action not only against low rung BBMP officers who sanctioned illegal plans but also against former BBMP commissioners' who approved the same.

 

Prasad said "BBMP do not have powers to initiate investigation or action against commissioners. The urban development department has powers to initiate action and they can do so."

 

R Ashoka Former Deputy Chief Minister along with BJP leaders visited Avani  Shrungar Layout where BBMP has demolished over a dozen homes and marked few more properties for demolition,  met the residents and assured the BJP will also explore options to ensure the justice for those who lost homes. "This is JCB government which is keen on demolition poor homes. Same thing happened during former chief minister R Gundu Rao's tenure in 70's, now this culture is back during Siddaramaiah's term.

 

The government has failed to demolish actor Darshan's house SS Hospital belonging to former minister and few builders' homes. The government wants to save such structures under the pretext of 'resurvey'." alleged Ashoka