BBMP bends rules to make way for VIPs

The civic agency has allegedly bent rules for the convenience of some high profile residents at the 18th cross in Sadashivanagar to execute the project worth Rs 15 lakh. The ‘VIP lane’ also houses the residence of Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar’s family and none of the houses here are smaller than 9,000 sq ft.

Local residents, on conditions of anonymity, complained that the road was blocked for the general public for nearly three years until someone sought information for the reasons behind it.

Their grievance now is that the road is being widened only to make room for parking private vehicles outside the houses. The local residents are apprehensive that the width of the pavement will be reduced to 2.5 ft, a space too less for pedestrians to walk on.

“We complained to the Palike officials against reducing the width of the pavement, but they are not in the mood to listen to our plight,” lamented a resident.

Palike officials, however, refute the charges levelled by the residents. According to them, the existing width of the road is 20 ft while the total width of pavements on both sides of the road is 10 ft. “We are acquiring only two feet from each side of the pavement.

Under no circumstance will the width of the pavement be reduced to three ft, whereas the width of the road will increase from 20 ft to 24 ft,” said a junior engineer.

But some officials admit that the minimum space for the pavement must be one metre which has not been followed at Sadashivanagar.