Will give houses to 148 illegal Ejipura occupants, BBMP tells court

Pipes come handy for families that have been rendered homeless by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike eviction drive in the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) Quarters in Ejipura in Bangalore. Photo: K. Gopinathan

As many as 148 persons found residing illegally in the quarters allotted to 1,512 identified persons at the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quarters at Ejipura will be provided with alternative housing elsewhere, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) told the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday.

The civic authority’s counsel gave this assurance during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, filed by some of the illegal residents before the quarters were demolished due to substandard quality of construction. The petitioners sought a direction to the BBMP to allot quarters for them also in the facility under construction, as is being done in case of the 1,512 original allottees.

“The BBMP has identified five acres to house these 148 illegal occupants,” BBMP’s counsel told a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna.

However, counsel refused to accept the petitioners’ claim there were 1,101 illegal occupants. “The BBMP had found only 148 in the quarters before they were demolished.”

‘How is it a PIL?’

Meanwhile, the Bench asked petitioners’ counsel how their plea can be treated as a PIL when they were espousing their private interest and not a public cause.

As their counsel claimed there were 1,101 illegal occupants, the Bench told him each one will have come on record with necessary proof for their claim and adjourned further hearing to June 26.

The BBMP is constructing new apartment complex of 1,512 flats through a public-private-partnership project with Maverick Holdings and Investments Pvt. Ltd.

Mayor election row

The State government on Tuesday sought a week to file its statement on a petition filed by two BBMP councillors challenging reservation of mayor’s post for the General category for the 2013-14 tenure.

Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das granted time after government counsel sought time for filing statement.

Councillors Varalakshmi J. and Noor Jahan, representing Marathahalli and Kushalnagar wards respectively, challenged the second notification issued on February 8 changing the reservation to the General category from the General (Woman) category.