Illegal buildings:Siddu directs action against officials

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner M Lakshminarayana to take stringent action against officials who permit construction of buildings in violation of byelaws.

“The issue has been taken seriously. Local engineers are learnt to have be allowing illegal constructions,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here on Monday when questioned about the measures taken by the government in the wake of rising cases of building collapse in the City.

Five different incidents of collapses of under-construction buildings have been reported in the last few weeks in the City. Recently, three persons were killed following a collapse of an under-construction building in Someshwaranagar. The building owners had taken up illegal construction in most of the cases.

Flak over garbage

When asked about the BBMP drawing flak over the zero garbage drive, Siddaramaiah said, “It is only a pilot project and was launched recently. I am personally monitoring the programme. We will ensure that it is a success.”

The programme was launched by BBMP on a pilot basis in 33 wards in the City. The objective was to segregate garbage at source as wet and dry waste. But the drive has not evoked good response in most of these wards. One of the reasons is said to be non-cooperation from the contractors.