JOIN USBBMP reduces fruit stalls to rubble
Impervious to the historical value it may hold and the hardship their action would put its owners to, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Saturday, took no time in razing to rubble two 40-year-old fruit stalls housed on the exterior section of the Malleswaram New Market.
The bewildered and shocked brothers — M Shanmugam and M Thangavelu, who earned their livelihood from the stall, were at a loss for words on finding to see the fruits and cartons strewn all around as if a whirlwind had struck their stalls.
By the time the brothers, laconically informed over phone by a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) official that their stalls would be shifted, rushed to the marketplace, the only source of their sustenance worth over Rs one lakh, in today’s market value, were ground to dust.
According to Thangavelu, who claimed they had no inkling about the eviction, they just handed a temporary shop distribution letter directing them to shift to a shed built by the BDA. “There was no notice as to the demolition from BBMP.
At least if they had informed me a few weeks ago, we would have made alternative arrangement. We have been paying rent every month regularly and have no idea as to why this sort of injustice has been meted out to us,” bemoaned Thangavelu.
A platoon of over 50 people from BBMP arrived with bulldozers around 12.45 pm and went about their task of razing down the shops in no time, said eyewitnesses.
Interestingly, the temporary shop distribution letter is dated to February 27, 2013 though it was handed over to the brothers only on March 1 evening.
“It’s really unfair to take the decision of destroying the two shops overnight. Neither the BDA nor the BBMP officials have given us the written notification or orally told us about the demolition,” rued Shanmugam. Besides the two shops, the rooftop of organic waste converter and public toilets inside the market premises were also razed by BBMP.
Determined to take on the corporation, the brothers have not only lodged a complaint with the Malleswaram Police Station, but would explore legal options also, Ganesh P C, son-in-law of M Thangavelu told Deccan Herald.
Disputing the brothers’ claim, Kadu Malleswara ward Corporator, Manjunath Raju, said the demolition work was taken up only after notice was given to shop vendors by BDA. “The eviction has been carried out to build a new shopping complex which will have the capacity to accommodate 150 shops.
Already 34 temporary shops have been built inside the market premises and all allottees of the land will get the shops,” he claimed.
Likewise, a BDA official, averred that the allotment letter was given to the two fruit stall vendors’ in the first week of February but they refused to accept it. He said: “Three days back, a meeting was also held to discuss the allotment of shops but many of them were apprehensive about it.
“For over a year, we have been telling them about the proposal and have even assured them of providing shops after construction of complex and renovation of building is done. But they are trying to stall us.”