With the city’s inspectors hand in glove with big builders, it is up to the citizens to take up the cudgels against illegal commercial complexes coming up in residential areas, says Nitin Sheshadri, a resident of Koramanagala who has been fighting against the over-commercialisation of residential properties.
In a web chat with readers of The Hindu on Sunday, Mr. Sheshadri took questions of people who believed their area was becoming unliveable due to rampant conversion of residential plots in commercial complexes.
With officials unable or unwilling to cope with the largescale violations of the city’s master plans, the activist suggested steps an individual can take to stop these illegalities: Step 1, file an RTI plea for the sanctioned plan of the site; Step 2, write to the medical officer or concerned zonal engineer to issue a notice under Section 505 of the Karnataka Municipal Act; Step 3, file an RTI in a week asking for the copy of the notice. This will expose complicity of officials as well as will prove handy if the matter is taken to court, he says.
Mr. Sheshadri was one of the petitioners in a PIL where the court directed the Bangalore Development Authority to revise its 2015 Master Plan.
He rued that there was either lack of awareness or apathy about violations in the zoning plan among citizens and RWAs currently.
“Form a platform (Residents’ Welfare Association, for instance). Once you have a platform you have a voice. Please meet your local MLA and MP frequently… Why not work with government to have the development done the way citizens want,” he suggested.
