BENGALURU: The move to demolish the century-old Government Railway Police (GRP) quarters, spread over nearly five acres of land at Keshwapur in Hubballi, commenced on Monday offering much relief to people residing in its vicinity.
The dilapidated buildings here remained unoccupied for nearly six years as it was feared they could collapse anytime.
The land in Nehru Nagar had been allotted by the British to the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway Company over 100 years ago. The houses built here were used by cops and their families, said a source.
The decision to demolish the structures is music to the ears of the Nehru Nagar Senior Citizens Committee. The 50-strong group had requested for a renovation of the structures here nearly two years ago to the then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the then Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, said Jagadish Hombal, a representative of the group.
"Since it was in an abandoned condition, it became a den for illegal activities to thrive here and anti-social elements frequented the buildings. There was an Inspector bungalow, a Sub Inspector bungalow and 40 houses for constables, all of them in bad shape now. They ended up as a big nuisance and safety threat for us due to miscreants here," he said. The demolition and construction of other structures in the future is expected to offer much relief to residents in and around the area.
What is interesting is that the GRP also stands to gain Rs 5 lakh due to the demolition process. A reliable source told The New Indian Express that the contractors who expressed their interest in demolishing it were asking for sums ranging between Rs 50,000 and Rs One lakh to carry out the job. "We decided to auction the job and did so on MSTC Limited, which is under the purview of the Union Ministry of Steel. The contractor has agreed to pay us Rs 5 lakh for the job. The scrap from the building will ensure a decent profit for him," the source said.