Bengaluru: The BBMP on Tuesday told the Karnataka High Court that it has identified a separate five acres of land elsewhere for relocating “illegal occupants”, including residents of Economically Weaker Section quarters in Ejipura.

The palike made the submission while the court was hearing a petition filed by Ms Shanta Mary and 130 other present occupants (tenants) of EWS quarters seeking directions to the palike to grant them plots as earlier assured by BBMP in 2005.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice D.H. Waghela, issued notices to 70 original allottees in EWS quarters. According to the occupants, who have appealed to the court, contended that BBMP had promised the tenants and the occupants at the EWS quarters that they too would be allotted plots along with the original allottees. But the Palike suppressed this fact before the high court while it was hearing relocation cases in the past.

”The BBMP had also issued a letter assuring accommodation to all the 1,300 tenants and occupants in 2005 once the final structure of the quarters was constructed, but till date they have not considered our plea,” petitioners contended.

The petitioners sought reconsideration of the previous high court order which had directed that the 1,512 original allottees had to be given newly constructed houses, while evicting all occupants from the present site after October 8, 2012.

The petitioners’ sought benefits not only to original allottees, but also to the occupants who have been given certificates of residence by the BBMP. They added that there are around 1,140 tenants and occupants.