MYSORE: Taking exception to the failure of local bodies to check illegal constructions in Bangalore, especially on public properties, Governor H R Bhardwaj asked the state government to identify such builders and initiate stern action against them.
He was speaking at the inaugural of the 60th National Town and Country Planners Congress organised by the Institute of Town Planners in collaboration with University of Mysore and Karnataka State Open University here on Friday.
“The state should cancel licenses of such builders,” he added. He attributed the water crisis in Bangalore to the occupation of water bodies by unscrupulous builders. “Many are constructing sky-high rise buildings and I am receiving such complaints everyday, to which urban development bodies have turned a blind eye. I have asked the chief secretary, who had submitted a report on the issue, to act on it.”
He slammed local bodies for not paying attention to planning in rural areas. “Awareness on conservation of local bodies must be generated by experts. We should take more care of our rural areas. Bangalore, with its choked roads, is going the Mumbai and Kolkata way; urban development authorities should not forget their responsibilities,” he added.