Pointing at the enormity of violation of building codes in the City, Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde has stated that a total of 64 multi-storeyed buildings in Mangalore are against the building by-laws.
“Based on the report of a special officer deputed by me, we had informed the government that the sanctions given by the officials and Mangalore City Corporation are illegal,” he said, after inaugurating Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedike at Mangaladevi here on Sunday.
It can be recalled here that Lokayukta Vigilance Director K L Anande Gowda had visited the City on November 23 and 24 last year and held discussions with the officers of the Corporation, MUDA, local authorities and the public. He had also inspected the illegal structures and later submitted a report to the Lokayukta.
However, Justice Hegde said, the government has gone for “one time regularisation of all the 64 unlawful buildings in the public interest”.
Expressing his apprehension over the consequences of this ‘one time regularisation,’ the Lakayukta said such liberalisation would lead to the construction of further illegal structures, as the builders would treat the permission as ‘taken for granted’.
“I have written to the government that such developments would lead to a situation when any government authority cannot control the illegal structures,” he recalled.
Justice Hegde also stressed on inculcating good values among the younger generation to fight against the corruption. There is a need for retrospection among the people that how to be good citizens. Collective efforts will always bring positive and quick results, he said.
Lokayukta had received a total of 234 complaints last year, while it is 135 till date since January, he informed. He advised the public to differentiate between the rich by observing the methods they use to reach such levels.
Speaking on the occasion, Udupi Human Rights Protection Foundation Chairman Raveendranath Shanubhog said any struggle need not be in a violent manner, as many a time silent and tolerant follow-ups lead to revolutions in the society.
He defined ‘struggle’ as all people responding to the problems of their fellow beings, and suggested the newly inaugurated Vedike to adopt its own strategies to fight against the injustice in the society.
SDM Law College Principal Dr B K Raveendra presided. Nagarika Hitharakshana Vedike President G Hanumanth Kamat, advocate A Udayananda were present.
