BENGALURU: The people living in the shanties that were demolished in Bellandur area on Sunday and those who brought them to Bengaluru as labourers are fleeing the area either due to alleged harassment from the police or the fear that their homes will be destroyed again.
The labour contractors who brought these migrant workers to the city - Indian citizens from West Bengal, parts of Karnataka and elsewhere - have started to flee the area alleging harassment from the police.
Akram B, who brought 40 people from West Bengal, said he was being threatened by the cops.
“Two of the 40 labourers I had brought have been picked up. The police have been threatening all of us and telling us to vacate the place. So I and other thekedars are making arrangements to return to West Bengal,” he said.
He added that he was not responsible for the labourers who had come with his help to Bengaluru.
“The two labourers - Tanzil Sheikh and Adi Zulf - who were picked up by the police have given them my name. The police have demanded Rs 50,000 as surety for them, but I have no money. If this is the way we are being forced to live, it is better to leave. The labourers and their families will have to fend for themselves,” he said.
Another thekedar, who did not want to be named as he feared for his safety, said: “The police came to our sheds on Monday night also and told us to vacate the place and go or else our homes will be demolished. To save themselves, the labourers are giving our names. We have documents to show that we are Indians. But the police are also questioning us. We are like dealers who deploy labourers to construction sites. We are not involved with the labourers and this being the case we are keen to leave the city,” he said.
Meanwhile, the labourers held a meeting on Monday and Tuesday to decide the next course of action. “Our homes are already demolished and we have nowhere to go. So some of us have decided to shift to another location as there is no safety here,” said Abdul S, a labourer. DCP Whitefield MN Anucheth, said, “On the request of the BBMP, we gave police protection during the demolition drive. We have not vacated any one.”
ENGINEER transferred
The BBMP has transferred TM Narayan Swamy, an assistant executive engineer on deputation to the BBMP who ordered the demolition of his own accord, back to the Public Works Department (PWD), his parent department.
BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kuamr told TNIE: “We repatriated him to the PWD late on Monday night and also requested that he be suspended. Since it is not BBMP land, we cannot do anything.”
APARTMENT DWELLERS filed complaint
Labourers from north Karnataka too are crying foul.
“We have come from places like Raichur, Koppal and other districts to work in Bengaluru as there is no employment there. The police have acted on a complaint filed by residents living in the neighbouring high-rise apartment. We were told that it mars the beauty of the vicinity of the apartment complex,” said a labourer.