Demolition drive: Martyr's family seeks time for rectification

 As the drive to clear encroachments on storm water drains in the city continued for the sixth day today, family of martyred NSG commando Niranjan Kumar, a portion of whose house is marked for demolition, is seeking time from civic authorities for rectification.

The family is seeking time to rectify by themselves the pillar that has come up in the encroached area as they fear city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) demolition work may cause damage to the structure of the building at Doddabommasandra.

"BBMP officials have not come yet. In the morning for some work they removed part of outside wall (but) not much, still they have not come. They have marked a pillar for demolition which supports the first floor house built for Niranjan.

"We want to request them for a couple of days time so that we can rectify it by ourselves," Lt Col Niranjan Kumar's mother Radha Shivarajan said.

"We don't want BBMP's JCB to come and demolish as it will become a problem for us. We will remove the pillar and rectify ourselves, but if they do, it won't be proper. That's the reason we are requesting for time," she said.

"What is for others (rules), is for us also, no problem with it; but he was a national hero, so to preserve his remembrance, we want time," she added.

Kumar, a bomb expert with NSG, had sacrificed his life in the terror attack on Pathankot airbase in January this year.
Following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's order, the civic body on Saturday had begun the demolition drive at Avani Sringeri Nagar in Bommanahalli, Kasavanahalli in Mahadevapura and Shivanahalli in Yelahanka, which is being extended to other areas too.

Recent incessant rains had inundated streets, crippling normal life in several parts of the city and made the state government and civic authorities to swing into action. They had recently taken up a storm water drain clearance drive.

Siddaramaiah has also ordered action against 20 government officials for their involvement in encroachment.

"We were even promised that a road in front of our house will be named after Niranjan, but till now nothing has happened. Now this house is having to face this problem, it has inflicted pain on us, we are feeling ashamed," Radha Shivarajan said.

She said Niranjan's father Shivarajan is in Kerala to  oversee his 'Samadhi' work.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the government could consider providing an alternative site or "help to build an alternative house (to Niranjan's family).

Opposition BJP leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar had said the government's move was a "disrespect" to the martyr's family and steps should have been taken to provide an alternative house to them.