The Deccan Chronicle 24.08.2010
Metro demolition leads to tension in South End
Aug 23: There was tension at South End Circle in Jayanagar on Monday as the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd continued to demolish properties to make way for a Metro station. A large number of police were deployed in the area to make sure there was no trouble while the demolition was in progress. A few local residents gathered at the spot to protest the demolition claiming they had stay orders from the high court against it and accusing the BMRCL of illegally demolishing their properties.
The protestors were taken into custody in the morning and later released. Around four buildings are being demolished for the Metro station coming up at the South End Circle. The work which had stopped for a while has now been resumed.Chief PRO, BMRCL, B.L. Yasvanth Chavan asserts that the demolition is being carried out with the high court's approval. “No one should have any objections as the high court has vacated the stay on acquisition of land by BMRCL. There is a stay order on 240 sq meters of additional land that we had requested for, but the rest of the land belongs to us and we are legally right in bringing down the buildings here,” he said, speaking to Deccan Chronicle, adding that the owners had been told to vacate before the demolition started.
“It’s a commercial area , but only a few small buildings are being demolished,” he added. But as confusion continued, the tahasildar and other BBMP officials met the property owners, explaining to them that the stay order had been vacated by the high court and the land now belonged to BMRCL. “The situation is under control. We will keep a strict lookout until the buildings are demolished,” said ACP, Jayanagar sub-division, Ramesh Chandra.
