The Hindu 27.01.2011
Encroachment: panel for action against officials
Members of the Standing Committee for Major Works have recommended
serving of show-cause notice on two officials from the Bruhat Bangalore
Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Town Planning Department for reportedly failing
to prevent encroachment of a natural drain on Vittal Mallya Road.
The members on Tuesday directed the town planning
officials to stop construction activities of G-Stad Hotel on the road.
Coming down heavily on the authorities for approving the building plan,
committee chairperson H. Ravindra directed officials to withdraw the
khata and the sanctioned building plan for the hotel that is under
construction. He said that the drain upstream carrying water from Cubbon
Park had been blocked, and directed officials to conduct a survey to
ascertain the extent of encroachment.
However, BBMP officials claimed that the property
promoter had given an undertaking to the BBMP to construct a box type
drain at his own cost. They said that the building plan was approved in
2005, while the revised building plan was approved in 2010 for
construction of ground plus 17 floors. The promoter had agreed to
maintain a garden in the 12 guntas next to the drain, they added.
Later, during the inspection of ETA Star on Magadi Road,
Mr. Ravindra warned promoters of filing a case against them for
encroaching upon a property earmarked for a playground.
Mr. Ravindra claimed that ETA had carried out excavation work without getting plan approval from the BBMP.
