BBMP says not enough surveyors to notify open spaces

Parks and laygrounds on the outskirts have been encroached upon.

These parks and playgrounds in newly added areas came to the Palike’s custody from BDA 10 years ago but they have not yet been notified in the state gazette. The reason being Palike could not survey them.

Because these lung spaces have not been notified, the Palike never made any budgetary provisions to upgrade them.

There are 1,904 parks, playgrounds and open spaces in the Palike’s custody, of which 1,688 have so far been notified. The rest of the 216 located mainly in the newly added areas of the BBMP, have not yet been notified.

The Palike’s excuse for not surveying and notifying them is that it does not have surveyors.

“The notification of parks and playgrounds may take some time because we have only two surveyors. We have asked the revenue department for at least 10 surveyors,” said BBMP special commissioner

S G Raveendra. About two years ago, the BBMP had recruited eight retired surveyors only to terminate their services after a short while.

“We had to terminate their services (retired surveyors) as we will not be able to hold them accountable for any lapse,” said Raveendra.

BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad refuted charges that the Palike is callous about protecting parks and playgrounds.

“Because of our initiative, we notified 1,300-odd parks and playgrounds. The rest will take some time but we are at it,” said Prasad.