The Hindu 19.08.2014
BBMP demolishes 77 shops built on storm-water drains
The rear end of the shops that were built by the BBMP nearly 70 years ago.— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) demolished
77 shops located in a narrow bylane off Nala Road in Shivajinagar on
Monday, as part of a demolition drive to remove encroachments on
storm-water drains. Ironically, the shops were built by the BBMP nearly
70 years ago.
The shops make up the New Evening
Bazaar in the bylane that is just 20 ft wide. The shops had been
allotted to merchants by the BBMP, then Bangalore City Corporation. The
shopkeepers have allotment letters and have been paying BBMP tax
regularly.
Nisar Ahmed, 71, a shopkeeper, said that
he had taken over the shop from his father. He said that the shops were
legal and taxes were being paid regularly.
Mohammed
Sibdatullah Khan, secretary, New Evening Bazaar Merchants Association,
said that the authorities had promised to re-allot new shops within six
months. The merchants had willingly given up the shops keeping faith in
the promise.
He said that BBMP authorities had wanted
to clear encroachments since the past two years. “But we bought some
time so that we could prepare for a six-month no-business period. All
the employees will be thrown out of jobs now,” he said.
However,
BBMP chief engineer H.C. Ananthswamy was non-committal on rebuilding
and re-allotting shops. He said that the encroachments had been removed
following directions from the High Court. He said the BBMP is yet to
decide on the next course of action.