Narasamma, an octogenarian, was distraught and wanted to meet the BBMP commissioner to request him to spare the dream building that her husband had built for her 50 years ago. “We have lived here for over half a century and the shops have sustained the family for three generations. Suddenly, it is being demolished,” she said.
Narasamma was just one of the over hundred families at Dasappa Layout in Doddabommasandra to be affected in what was the biggest demolition drive since the civic body started clearing encroachments on storm water drains (SWDs) last week. Her house, which was built on a drain, was almost completely reduced to rubble.
What set this demolition drive apart from previous ones was that the encroachments cleared in Doddabommasandra date back to the 1960s and 1970s when the village developed into a densely populated hub. Late Tuesday night, BBMP officials went around the area with mikes announcing that encroachments would be razed the next morning.
In the densely built neighbourhood, over 50 properties with small shops attached to them, were either totally or partially demolished on Wednesday. In the process, at least 40 small shops lined up along Doddabommasandra Road were removed. The BBMP also razed (either partially or totally) another 70 houses, including that of the recently martyred NSG commando E.K. Niranjan.
The civic body recovered around 800 metres of a rajakaluve and three tertiary drains between Bommasandra village and Doddabommasandra lake. More demolitions are expected.
Most of the encroachments are gramthana properties that were given khata by the erstwhile Byatarayanapura City Municipal Council, which was dissolved to form the BBMP in 2007.
“The surveys are arbitrary. My property has been in litigation and I have an interim stay from the civil court. But BBMP officials asked me to move contempt proceedings if I wished to, but would go ahead with the demolition,” said E. Santosh, a second-generation property owner in the area.
“We live in a rented portion on the first floor. Officials have demolished the entire building, not even allowing us to vacate the house. A fridge, television set, two almirahs and even a gas cylinder have been damaged. The cylinder could have led to an accident killing many of us,” said Subhadramma, a resident.
Officials have identified an additional 60 properties that have encroached on another part of the drain.
Over 40 shopkeepers affectedThe Doddabommasandra Road, connecting BEL premises to Vidyaranyapura, had been a bustling bazaar with hundreds of small shops selling groceries to garments, on either side of the road. Over 40 shops on one side of the road were demolished on Wednesday.
Some of the goods and furniture were in the shops when they were reduced to rubble by earthmovers. “We are not even being given time to shift our goods and stock to other locations. If we lose our stock, we will be pushed to the streets. Owners of good carriers are fleecing us,” said Vikram, who runs a home appliances store that was demolished.
Owners of goods vehicles are demanding double the fare from harried shopkeepers to shift their stock and belongings.
A portion of martyr’s house to goA portion of the house of E.K. Niranjan, an NSG commando martyred during the Pathankot attack, will be demolished as it stands on a rajakaluve. His mother, Radha Shivarajan, told The Hindu that they had requested the civic body to allow them to carry out the demolition so that the remaining parts are intact. “We want to retain the first floor of the house, as it was built three years ago for Niranjan and his family after his marriage,” she said.
No FIR against officials yetA day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed criminal cases against 20 officials, both serving and retired, for their part in allowing encroachments on storm water drains, no cases were registered. No official in the BBMP has been suspended.
Vijayshankar, Special Commissioner (Projects), BBMP, who has been entrusted with the probe into the alleged irregularities, said he is yet to receive the papers and had hence had not started the probe. “I will begin on Thursday,” he said.
While the government has suspended two officers on deputation to the BBMP, it has directed the civic commissioner to suspend 12 other BBMP officials, pending a departmental inquiry.
Sources told The Hindu that the suspension orders have been placed before the commissioner.
