Hundreds of people living in sheds on a site located at Devarabeesanahalli were in for a shock on Saturday as Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities demolished their houses. The residents alleged that they were not given any notice. They said they were given only half an hour to pack their belongings and vacate the place.
A majority of the people who were living in the tin sheds on the site were migrants from other States. They were working as daily wage labourers, domestic help or housekeeping staff. Those whose sheds were pulled down said they had nowhere else to go.
Ameen Hussain, a housekeeping staff at an IT park who was living with four of his family members in a shed, said he was at work when BBMP officials demolished his house. “By the time I rushed to the spot, I saw my house had been pulled down. All my belongings were damaged,” he said.
The police were present at the spot, he said.
BBMP officials said around 200 of the 300 sheds were pulled down on Saturday. The remaining ones would be demolished on Sunday, they said.
‘Plea by public’
The officials said the decision to demolish the “illegal” sheds was taken following representations by the public.
He said a portion of the 2.5 acres of private land was “encroached upon” by these people. “Their numbers were going up every day. After giving them enough warnings, we demolished their houses,” a BBMP official said.
