JOIN USOn its last day, BMTF books cases against builders
The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) on its last day of functioning registered cases against builders, commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the joint director (Town Planning).
The BMTF superintendent of police, Mallikarjun Swamy, said the first case was registered against a developer, based on a complaint lodged by a resident of JP Nagar. The complainant stated that the builder encroached a stormwater drain, canal and a footpath at Nagashettihalli near RMV Extension.
A portion of this land was acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority and allotted to a house building society.
Swamy said, “The society later sold 10 acres of land to the developers. After the bulk acquisition of land, the BDA allotted it to the society for the layout formation but the society sold a portion of it to the developers instead of allotting it to the beneficiaries.”
The second case relates to a residential and commercial project on a 42 acres land at Kyathamaranahalli.
The building was in clear violation of the Town and Country Planning Act.
The complainant from Malleswaram stated that the builder has grabbed three acres and eight of guntas of kharab land, canal and storm water drain, Swamy said.
The third case was registered by the BMTF against those who have grabbed cremation ground in Sampangiram Nagar ward. Based on a complaint lodged by the local corporator M Gopi, the BMTF registered the case.
Future in limbo
It was work as usual for the officials of the BMTF on Saturday in the absence of any communication from the State government extending its tenure.
Every year, since its inception in 1996, the State government has to extend the tenure of the task force before March 31.
Equations have changed ever since Additional Director General of Police R P Sharma took over as the BMTF chief. In the last one-and-half years, the task force registered cases against Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, Health Minister Aravinda Limbavali and Urban Development Minister S Suresh Kumar, Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy, many top bureaucrats, corporators, BBMP engineers and BDA officials.
Attempts to transfer
This allegedly prompted the government to make several attempts to transfer Sharma and wind up the BMTF, but in vain.
Now, it appears that the government has found “right time” to go ahead with its plan as it has not yet extended the term of the task force.
Sources in the BMTF said Sharma had sent a letter seeking extension of the tenure of the task force but there has been no response from the government.
He had asked the government to clarify whether or not it wants to continue the BMTF. He also made it clear that the government’s silence would be construed as its nod for extending the term.