BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said on Wednesday that the Palike will resume its eviction drive as the Revenue Department has passed an order to clear 34 encroachments on the raja kaluve in Mahadevapura Zone.
This drive is part of BBMP’s monsoon preparedness plan. “The Palike has about 600 cases of stormwater drain encroachment pending. Now that the Revenue Department has passed an order to clear encroachments, we will go by it,” Girinath said.
He said the Revenue Department had passed the order before the election code of conduct came into force in the state. The Palike waited for the Assembly elections to end as eviction during polls would lead to confusion among voters. Executive Engineer of the Stormwater Drain Division of BBMP Malathi R said that a meeting was held on Wednesday on the encroachment issue.
“The eviction drive is likely to start Monday,” Malathi added. Although the BBMP has stated that it will resume its eviction drive, residents and activists are not sure of it. “The BBMP has identified encroachments near Varthur and Bellandur lakes, but it did not touch them,” said Jagadish Reddy from Varthur Rising. The BBMP has not changed its approach with regard to the clearance of encroachments on stormwater drains, said AAP leader Ashok Mruthyunjaya.
“The BBMP is resuming its drive against encroachments when the monsoon is just a few days away. And like last time, the Palike will not touch the rich and influential encroachers,” he said.