BENGALURU: At a time when illegal constructions are rampant in the IT belt, a startup founder has not only complained to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to take cognisance of an illegal construction, but also approached the Karnataka High Court to stop it and got the building sealed.
The BBMP Joint Commissioner, Assistant Director of Town Planning (ADTP), and police stopped the construction of a six-storeyed illegal building and sealed it based on the HC order.
Ravikumar GS, a resident of BEML Layout and a software professional who is currently busy setting up his startup that deals with heavy equipment manufacturing, appealed to the owner, Kalluri Subba Reddy, and his brother Janardhana Reddy to ensure set-off in the back of the property and display the sanction plan and other details at their property Number-27, 1st Main, 4th Cross, BEML 6th stage. But the builders, who are not from the state, asked him to mind his own business.
The owners had permission for ground-plus-three floors and the structure was supposed to be for residential purposes. But the owners were allegedly trying to convert it into a paying guest accommodation by putting up six floors.
Ravikumar then approached BBMP officials, and ADTP Rachappa Madar issued a show-cause notice asking the owners to furnish the details and stop the construction. “Despite the notice, the construction was on. The issue had been going on for eight months. Initially, BBMP Assistant Executive Engineer Srinivas came to the spot and instead of taking measurements of the building that violated bylaws, he was trying to project our property in bad light. We approached the ADTP again and based on his direction, the actual measurement was taken and it was found that the PG building had 400% deviation from the sanctioned plan,” said Ravikumar.
The ADTP also had given demolition orders, but the owners got an injunction from the magistrate court. “We approached the HC and a notice was served. But the owners were refusing to collect it. The HC then directed the BBMP to stop and seal the building on Tuesday,” said Ravikumar.
Lauding the efforts of Ravikumar, Joint Commissioner, Mahadevapura Zone, Dr K Dakshayini said that each floor has eight rooms and even the parking area was converted into three rooms. “The builders are running illegal PGs which is leading to the collapse of civic infrastructure. In this building, there are 48 rooms. Later when there is a water shortage and sewage issue, civic agencies will be blamed,” she said, adding that more such illegal buildings will be sealed.