BBMP’s encroachment clearance drive hampered by court stay orders

BENGALURU:  The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has resumed its anti-encroachment drive over the last couple of weeks. However, in some places, the demolition drive being conducted by the officials have been hampered as courts have issued stay orders based on petitions from property owners. The Palike plans to complete the entire survey work by April and resume full-scale clearance of encroachments.

The BBMP is already conducting the demolition in all eight zones to clear encroachments of rajakaluves in 485 locations. It has taken up fresh survey in 152 survey numbers and notices have been issued to encroachers.

The BBMP has resumed its demolition drive and plans to end the survey of encroachments by April.

However, some property owners have approached courts to obtain a stay order. The BBMP is now waiting for the outcome of the cases to proceed with its encroachment clearance drive.

Palike engineer Basavaraj Kabade said, “We have already started demolition drive in Mahadevapura, K R Puram and Yelahanka. There are a large number of encroachments identified by the engineers. Earlier, about 20 people had secured stay orders from courts, but now, 62 people have got a stay on the demolition on the ground that the Palike did not issue prior notice and that they needed more time. Recently, about 28 orders for demolition were received from the tahsildhar”.

Basavaraj Kabade, BBMP engineer said they are waiting for the court orders to get clearance of encroached land.

“We will not discriminate between the rich and poor, we will only execute the high court order. In some places roads are constructed on the rajakaluve, so we are discussing how it can be cleared. We will take action immediately in coordination with the surveyors after the tahsildar issues the order. Most of the encroachments are in Mahadevpura and R R  Nagar zones. Encroachments are less in the core areas and highest in the east. We have set a target to complete the survey and demolition work by the end of April”.