The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) and Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioners have given an undertaking before the Lokayukta II of inspecting and initiating action against those builders and house owners who have violated the norms by using basement areas for commercial purpose, within three months from Saturday.

The issue of utilising the basement for commercial purpose and violating the zonal regulations and building bylaws came up for a lengthy discussion at the grievance reddressal meeting of Mangalore and Bantwal taluks by the Upa Lokayukta at Town Hall on Saturday. Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi directed the authorities to ensure that basement is used only for parking the vehicles. The illegalities in building construction and violation of laws should be stopped. The commissioners should also ensure that no building is constructed adjacent to the Nalas.

“In every building licence granted by the MCC, the town planning authority shall put a condition to the applicant to meet the requisites of the building bylaws. The authority concerned shall visit the site before the commencement of the work, survey and lay the necessary marking and issue the certificate, only if the housing plan abides the rules,” he has stated in his order.

Nagarika Hitharakshana Vedike President Hanumath Kamath complained against a house owner of constructing the house violating the norms in Kasaba Bazar. The house owner though had obtained licence for constructing basement, he had left no space for basement, rather started the work with ground floor. In reply, Town Planning Officer Balakrishna Gowda said that a notice has been issued to the house owner to make modifications as per the zonal regulations.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the Upa Lokayukta ordered the MCC, fire service department and Lokayukta DySP to make a joint inspection of the house in the presence of complainant and inspect whether the modifications are made in the house as per the requirement. “Regularisation of unauthorised buildings too shall be streamlined in the interest of people,” he said.

DDPI to conduct an inquiry

In connection with a complaint of abuse of government funds by deputing government aided school teachers to a private school in Punacha in Vittal, the Upa Lokayukta ordered the Deputy Director of Public Instruction of DK to conduct an inquiry into the allegations.

Complainant C S Shastri from Punacha alleged that head teacher and three teachers from Pariyalthadka Government Aided Primary School were simultaneously serving on deputation at Shastriji Memorial High School, an unaided school, for nearly three years. Apart from misusing the teachers, he also alleged the institution of diverting funds received under Akshara Dasoha to the highschool. As the BEO inquiry report too has proved the abuse of funds and no proper action has been initiated, the Upa Lokayukta directed the DDPI to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit the complaint and the report to the commissioner of public instructions to take stern action against all those involved in the case.

Several complaints of misappropriation at gram panchayat level came before the Upa Lokayukta court. In one such complaint, Kochanna from Sajipa alleged Girish Kumar of committing fraud by holding two posts of clerk and bill collector and drawing a salary of Rs 1.40 lakh in Sajipa Muda gram panchayat. The Upa Lokayukta directed the ZP CEO to file a criminal case against the offenders and recover the loss.

Complaints of illegal quarrying and the impact of quarrying on nearby households too appeared. In most of the cases, the Upa Lokayukta directed to cancel the licence of the quarry owners if stone quarrying is done illegally.