BENGALURU: To prevent re-encroachment of footpaths that have already been cleared across the city, Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda directed officials to constitute joint task forces comprising police and civic officials in each city corporation jurisdiction.
The task force will ensure continuous monitoring and undertake joint enforcement action against re-encroachment.
Addressing officials at a virtual meeting on Friday, which was convened to review the issue of footpath encroachments, the minister said instances of encroachment returning to the same locations after clearance must be treated seriously and repeat violators face stringent legal action.
Byre Gowda stressed that merely clearing an encroachment was not enough. “A system must be put in place to ensure that the same stretch is not encroached upon again. Each City Corporation should have a joint task force with police and civic officials working in coordination.
Cleared footpaths should be subjected to regular as well as surprise inspections, with immediate action taken if re-encroachment is detected. Cases of re-encroachment should be identified promptly and reported with photographic and geo-tagged evidence. Marshals and beat police personnel should jointly conduct regular inspections,” he directed.
“It is not enough to say that encroachments have been cleared. There must be continuous monitoring to ensure that the cleared locations are not encroached upon again. FIRs should be registered against repeat violators, the materials used for the encroachment should be seized and higher penalties imposed as per the rules,” he said.
He also directed officials to clearly assign responsibility for monitoring and enforcement and to establish a system for regular review of action taken and progress reports.
He directed officials to clearly identify roads where street vending is restricted or prohibited and ensure that the relevant police and civic authorities are formally informed. “On major and high-traffic roads, necessary measures must be taken to ensure that neither pedestrian nor vehicular movement is obstructed,” he said, stressing that facilitating smooth public movement must be given priority.
A new survey of street vendors should be undertaken at the earliest, the Minister directed. Following the survey, action should be taken based on eligibility and applicable legal criteria. He also instructed officials to complete pending statutory processes, including the constitution of Town Vending Committees, in accordance with the law.