Deccan Herald 16.08.2013
BBMP razes illegal sheds, 60 families evicted
More than 60 families of MRCR Layout in
Govindarajanagar were in for a rude shock on Wednesday when their sheds
were brought down within no time by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara
Palike (BBMP) as part of a demolition drive.
Annamma,
who has been living there for four years, was busy arranging the
household items that she had spread out in front of her demolished home.
“The house owners had earlier assured us that we won’t be
thrown out of house. For each house, Rs 2,000 was fixed as rent and Rs
10,000 as advance. And, we had been paying rent regularly. This is
injustice and where are we supposed to go now,” questioned Annamma even
as her grandson Manju was playing.
Over 60 Muslim and Hindu families, mainly labourers
and vegetable vendors, resided in these 60-odd sheds. “The demolition
was carried out following a direction from the City Civil Court. The
sheds had come up on a civic amenity (CA) site. It has been encroached
upon and sheds were built illegally. We have taken this step only after
issuing many notices to the residents. Further, a high-tension power
line runs over the CA site,” said one of the BBMP engineers who was
present during the time of demolition.
“We got a notice three
months ago. But, when we showed it to the house owners, they said that
nothing would happen. We got to know only on Tuesday night that Palike
will demolish the houses the next morning. When we questioned the house
owners, they washed their hands of the issue saying they too were
helpless. Hence, my neighbours and I had shifted the household items,
fearing eviction,” said Meena, another resident.
Some residents have
started hunting for new homes in the locality. Many of them complained
that the house owners are not refunding the advance money.
The
BBMP sources said that they will fence the CA site soon and take
necessary steps as per the orders of Palike Commissioner M
Lakashminarayana.
