Corporator accuses Palike of shielding Mantri Developers

Pandemonium broke out in the BBMP council meeting on Monday when the BJP corporator Umesh Shetty accused the Palike administration of shielding Mantri Developers, which, he alleged, has encroached upon public land near Mantri Square mall on Sampige Road. Raising the issue of parapet wall collapse in the council, he said the Palike has ignored all the illegalities committed by  Mantri Developers.

According to a BBMP report, the developer has encroached upon 3.1 acres of Palike land, including a lake, stormwater drain and a public road, he said. “The report said that encroachment should be removed. But no action has been initiated against the encroacher,” said Shetty. “There was supposed to be space set aside for parking 132 cars. But many shops and restaurants have come up on parking space. The BBMP should withdraw the occupancy certificate to the developer,” said Shetty.

He added that the setbacks of Mantri Greenwoods have also been violated. Shetty said the BBMP never made any attempts to vacate the stay granted to Mantri Developers and to initiate action against it based on its interim report. Interrupting him, Congress corporator G K Venkatesh charged BJP with allowing the illegal structure to come up when it was in power in the state as well as BBMP.

After Shetty accused the Palike of conniving with the developer, the Congress corporators trooped into the well of the House, demanding his suspension. The commotion forced Mayor G Padmavathi to adjourn the House for an hour.