BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) engineers allegedly allowed BJP leader Suresh Babu to construct five unauthorised floors on a building coming up on 6th Cross, Wilson Garden. Enraged, an activist filed a complaint with BBMP against former Assistant Director of Town Planning (ADTP) South, and Assistant Engineer of Chickpet.
In his complaint addressed to BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, complainant Anthony Das (Kala) said, “I have filed a complaint against Dharam Singh Nayak, former ADTP and now posted as Assistant Engineer, Projects, and Kotresh Nayak, Assistant Engineer, VV Puram, who was earlier posted in Hombegowda Nagar, for not taking any action against the cent per cent deviation in construction plan, besides five unauthorised floors.”
The BBMP had issued a notice, seeking explanation and documents from building owners under Sections 248 (1) and (2) on March 30, 2024, and confirmed violations like 100 per cent deviation in the construction of stilt, first, second and third floors.
It certified the fourth, fifth and terrace as unauthorised construction on April 8, 2024, under Section 248 (3) of BBMP Act 2020. The engineers were directed to take steps to remove unauthorised construction of the 8-floor building on property number 62-110-15/1 at 6th Cross, Hombegowda Nagar, Wilson Garden. When they failed to act, additional unauthorised floors were constructed.
“Had the engineers taken action at that right time, the owner would not have added the 6th, 7th and 8th floors. Inaction by engineers is nothing but dereliction of duty, and their silence allowed him to construct five unauthorised floors. Had an ordinary person built a small unauthorised floor, BBMP would have taken action by now,” said Das.
He stated that two officials were in charge of Hombegowda Nagar three months ago, when the deviation and unauthorised construction at the property took place, and charged that present ADTP Sandeep and AE Rame Gowda of Town Planning are also party to the said violation as they too failed to remove unauthorised constructions under section 356 of the BBMP Act, 2020.