While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials maintain that the EWS (economically weaker sections) quarters at Ejipura had to be demolished as its occupants had been living there illegally, the Palike and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) have turned a blind eye to several other such cases in the City.
In sharp contrast to what happened at Ejipura in the last four days, the Palike, despite specific complaints with proof of illegal constructions, has not taken any action against some builders in the City.
In one such case, Victory Harmony, a private building located on Sumangali Sevashrama Road, obtained approval for the building plan for 99 apartments in 2007. The Palike permitted construction in three blocks up to three floors.
A few residents of the same apartment complex have alleged that the builder constructed flats on the fourth floor, too.
“He has sold them at a lower cost to people who owned flats in the same complex,” one of them said, adding that the builder had constructed two additional ‘illegal’ apartments.
One of the residents, Shiva Kumar, has also filed an official complaint with the BBMP. “I have filed the complaint with BBMP Commissioner and the chief engineer, but there is no real action,” he said.
“The sale deeds of 2010 suggest that the owner of flat A-305, R Jaikumar, purchased it for Rs 40.39 lakh. The ‘illegal’ flat on the fourth floor, A-404, was, however, sold for Rs 18 lakh despite the house being of a larger dimension,” he claimed.
Officials in the Palike said they had sent the builder the notice, but refused to elaborate on what had happened since.
Further, a complaint regarding alleged violations by Vaishnavi Builders is in the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force cold storage. The company, in violation of conditions set by the BDA, is alleged to have sold apartments to VIPs and other affluent persons and not to members of the society at whose behest the developer constructed the apartments.
Violations
Deccan Herald had reported about the various violations and the persons who have benefited from this.
Kiran S Murthy, a tax consultant who filed a complaint with the BMTF, said: “There has been no action and if nothing happens in the near future, I will be forced to file a PIL before the High Court.”
The said developer had constructed apartments on the land belonging to the Vyalikaval House Building Co-operative Society, which was in news for the controversial allotment of a site to the spouse of Justice Shivraj V Patil, that cost the judge the job of Lokayukta.
This was only one of the questionable allotments of group housing, it was found later.
In a show of favouritism towards the kin of people’s representatives and businessmen, sites meant solely for the members of the society have been allotted to 48 “outsiders”, keeping the genuine members in the dark.