Water pipeline project worries Kadur, Birur residents

There are discussions going on, both for and against the eviction. This project taken up at a cost of Rs 37 crore requires laying of pipelines along the highway. The main issue fuelling chaos in two towns is over the width to be allocated for laying of the pipeline. Though several meetings were held to decide upon this there has been no consensus over the issue.

Birur Town Municipal Council Chief Officer informed Deccan Herald that despite all the confusions, a meeting was recently held in Bangalore in the presence of Kadur MLA Dr Y C Vishwanath, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankarmurthy and Deputy Commissioner D K Rangaswamy where it was decided to evict the buildings coming on the stretch of 50 ft from the mid point of the road.

In the beginning of 2010, the compound walls of government buildings were evicted in Birur town. Later private buildings were marked at 50 ft from middle of the road. While some have shifted their home and commercial complexes 45 ft from the middle of the road, many have moved to the court pleading not to evict their buildings.

Awarding this plea, Single member bench of Justice Ram Mohan Reddy said that no building should be evicted coercively or outside legal framework. In Kadur, Council officials evicted government buildings and compound walls last week. Since last two days they have been making announcements across the town.

The decision of clearing off buildings on 50 ft distance has caused a sense of fear and panic among the people naturally. According to the rules the Town Municipal Council or local governing body has to issue notice 60 days prior to the eviction drive.

Though many more procedures need to be done, in Kadur and Birur, none of these have been completed, allege the resident. Birur Town Municipal Council Chief Officer Omkarmurthy when asked about this said that some people have moved to Court over the eviction process. As mentioned by the petitioners, the Chief Officer does not have the right to issue notice or to declare compensation.

“Land acquisition happens as per the directions of the regional officer. We can decide only on the eviction of government offices and the buildings belonging to the Council,” he elucidated adding that in Birur Town no notices have been issued and nobody has been asked to build structures 50 ft away from the middle of the road.  There have been no encroachments on the highway.

“There are no proposals to take up any project on National Highway and nobody has been asked to evict land. We are being dragged into unnecessary controversies. It is actually the duty of the Council to see to it that no structures are built or pipelines are laid 15 mts from middle of the road. Since Council has issued license to buildings it is their head ache as to how to evict the buildings too,” said National Highway Authority of India Junior Engineer Sathyanarayana.

The local residents say that they have no problem with the project. “Our question is if we leave 50 ft land just for drinking water pipeline project, there is yet another sword hanging over our head in the name of drainage pipeline project, which is still in proposal stage. What kind of compensation are we going to receive,” say worried residents.