The Hassan City Municipal Council (CMC) on Friday launched a drive to demolish buildings encroaching upon the building line along the Bengaluru-Mangaluru Road in the city.
The urban local body had earlier issued notice to owners who had constructed buildings ignoring the six-metre building line along the road. A shopping mall, hotels, lodges, bars, and shops faced the axe.
A team of officials led by Commissioner B.A. Paramesh conducted the drive with earth-movers. When they reached the spot, after disconnecting the supply of power and water to the buildings, the owners were seen making last-minute efforts to safeguard their belongings. The CMC had issued notice to 41 buildings three months ago.
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Among those who received notice were Prajwal Revanna, son of Minister for Public Works H.D. Revanna. He had recently purchased a property where the previous owner had built shops encroaching upon the line. They were all cleared by the CMC. Mr. Revanna, who is also Minister in-charge of the district, had supported the drive stating that the officers were free to take action against the buildings as per the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964.
The CMC had sought police support for the operation. As the drive began, a few BJP supporters staged a protest against it. They alleged that the local body was targeting buildings only on one side of the road, while other structures were being allowed to stand. The police took the protesters into custody to allow the drive to continue.
The CMC, in its final order issued on Thursday, had clearly stated that the expenses incurred towards the demolition would be collected from building owners in the form of property tax.
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Mr. Paramesh said: “Because of encroachment, traffic movement was being affected. Pedestrians had difficulty crossing roads and there was not enough space to park vehicles.” He said the drive would continue for two more days.