Bengaluru civic body issues notices to residents for building norm violations
BENGALURU: The BBMP recently started serving notices to houses that have violated building by-laws on the city outskirts, sending alarm bells among residents. This follows a High Court order asking the BBMP to submit an action taken report on building violations in the city by December 9.
Residents fear that the door-to-door notices seeking plan approval documents are a precursor to possible demolition. Buildings that have come up on B khata sites (revenue or agricultural land that is yet to be converted into residential land) are considered illegal constructions by the BBMP.
The Court on October 27 came down heavily on the BBMP and its Chief Commissioner for lack of action against building violations in Bengaluru and had called for tough action. It also insisted that photographic evidence on action taken should be submitted.
President of the Trinity Enclave Residents Association Kochu Shankar said nearly 100 houses in this residential complex at Horamavu received notices last week. “The owners are being asked to submit various documents to the BBMP office within three days. When we bought the sites, the B khata sites were not being converted. Lawyers told us that it could be done later with a penalty.
All of us have used our retirement money to build houses here. Many are having sleepless nights and are under enormous psychological pressure,” he said. “A photo of the notice being handed over by the BBMP staffer to the house owner is being taken as proof. This has upset the owners further,” Shankar added.
Jagdish Reddy of Varthur Rising, a civic movement, said, “Half of Bengaluru is unplanned and unregulated. The government cannot undo what they have done already. In future, the town planning section should not allow illegal layouts.”
A top BBMP official said, “We are going only by what the High Court has ordered us to do. The public should never have indulged in violations and built the properties in the first place. We should also never have given permission to go ahead with constructions on B khata sites. Both mistakes have been committed in the past. We are now trying to take action within legal limits.”