A road widening residents did not want

The residents of ECC Road, Whitefield have a new problem on hand. A road widening project has been taken up there.

Residents of Prestige Sunflower Villas in the locality alleged that a group of 40 to 50 people began work on Saturday by digging up the place, demolishing parts of the compound wall and rendering the road in front of their homes completely useless.

In the process, drainage pipes were damaged. A stretch of about 100 metres has been turned into a mess causing inconvenience for the residents, they said.

When contacted, the officials of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike confirmed to Deccan Herald that road widening had been planned and work was in progress. However, the BBMP had nothing to do with the work undertaken on Saturday, the officials said.

“Somebody has done this with vested interest. If we have to widen the road, we will do it as per law,” said an official. We wrote letters to the building owners a month ago, asking them to give a part of their land for road widening. A few of them have responded and have sought compensation,” the official said.

A resident of the Prestige Sunflower Villas, seeking anonymity, said they were unable to take their vehicles out as the entire place was dug up and filled with rubble.

“We have been desperately trying to reach BBMP officials, but in vain,” she said. They were being threatened into silence on the issue by those involved, she said.

Residents suspect this to be the work of local goons. They also see the role of a few other builders who may have wanted the road widened for their own construction purposes.

A complaint has been lodged at the Whitefield police station. Inspector Mohammed Rafiq said they had written to the BBMP seeking details of the project and it would be available to them on Monday.