Special Correspondent

Brakes on crackdown against commercial establishments

BBMP officials asking businesses to shut down operations voluntarily

January 30, 2019 01:22 am | Updated 07:56 am IST

Around 20 shops operating illegally from basement in H.S.R. Layout were shut down by civic officials from Bommanahalli zone on Monday. Seen here are a line of shops in Chickpet, Bengaluru. File photo.

Around 20 shops operating illegally from basement in H.S.R. Layout were shut down by civic officials from Bommanahalli zone on Monday. Seen here are a line of shops in Chickpet, Bengaluru. File photo.

The long-standing demand of residents in parts of Bengaluru for a check on rampant illegal commercialisation of residential areas got a shot in the arm earlier this month. Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister G. Parameshwara directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to close down all illegal shops in residential areas that were operating without a valid trade licence issued by the civic body.

This sent the BBMP on an overdrive, with officials closing down some commercial establishments and issuing notices to a few. However, weeks later, the initial drive seems to have fizzled out.

According to information provided by the BBMP, the civic body has issued notices to as many as 8,493 commercial establishments in residential areas and businesses set up in basements that are ought to be used for parking purposes. However, these notices were issued over a period of one year, i.e. from January 1, 2018 to January 19, 2019.

Senior officials, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that since the directions from Mr. Parameshwara, the civic body had issued just around 150 closure notices to commercial establishments set up in violation of zoning regulations. “We are now not issuing notices. We are directly asking the establishments to shut down operations,” an official said.

 

“We are targeting all commercial establishments that do not have a trade licence,” officials said and added that the civic body had issued a total of 48,583 trade licences across the eight zones in the city.

BBMP officials also said that the drive was mainly focussed on rampant and unchecked commercialisation in areas where the road width does not exceed 40 feet.

Another official said that another reason for the drive to fizzle out was the resistance and pressure from elected representatives. “A few elected representatives have invested in commercial establishments. There is intense pressure on BBMP officials to desist from shutting down such establishments,” the official added.

Waking up to the misuse of basement spaces, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has begun cracking down on shops operating illegally from basements.

20 shops shut

Around 20 shops operating illegally from basement in H.S.R. Layout were shut down by civic officials from Bommanahalli zone on Monday. According to sources, they have identified a total of 70 shops that are operating illegally from basements. Sources added that notices have already been issued to the shops to shut down voluntarily. “Once the time provided by the BBMP lapses, we will take action,” a source said.

On Monday, a shop in the basement of a three-storey building on the busy Ganganagar Main Road was gutted in a fire. BBMP officials claim there are many such establishments across the city that they will clamp down on in the coming weeks.

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