BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike continued its demolition drive at Doddabommasandra and KR Puram on Wednesday. While the drive at Doddabommasandra had to be stopped as residents raised several doubts on the markings, part of a building belonging to Congress MLA R V Devaraj, a BBMP shopping complex with 24 shops in KR Puram are some of the properties that were removed.
Sources from Chickpet MLA Devaraj’s office said that Hotel Sabari on Siddaiah Road near Urvashi Theatre was also part of the encroachment removal drive. “It is not fully owned by Devaraj. He is a partner. Five feet of the hotel was on a drain, which was cleared by us,” sources said.
A senior official said they are going by the storm water drain map, and not people. “The court is also watching us. We shall spare no one if storm water drains are encroached on,” he added.
BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad told Express, “On Wednesday, we cleared 24 shops belonging to the BBMP. They were constructed on a storm water drain at Udaynagar of A Narayanapura Ward in KR Puram.” He added that encroachments were being cleared on a priority basis at vulnerable places.
Again BBMP bulldozers were seen clearing way for an SWD at Kyalasanahalli in KR Puram. Mahadevapura Joint Commissioner M Muniveerappa said, “No houses were demolished on this stretch. Only some portions of people’s properties were acquired. Properties on a 3-km stretch have been marked so far and 1.6 km has been reclaimed. There are a few houses in this stretch that will have to be demolished and we might take that up on Thursday.”
BBMP authorities, clearing encroachments at KR Puram, Mahadevapura and Rajarajeshwari Nagar zones, are sending debris to a designated place.