<p>Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is working on a proposal to establish a new enforcement squad to exclusively crack down on illegal buildings. </p>.<p>The move follows rampant unregulated constructions in Bengaluru amid weak enforcement mechanisms and rising property prices. </p>.<p>An exclusive body, officials believe, may come in handy, as its engineering section is busy with other responsibilities. </p>.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said there was “loud thinking” about forming an exclusive body at the centralised level.</p>.<p>“While the individual municipal corporations can handle certain cases, there may be some pressure when it comes to demolishing buildings. However, a decision will be taken only after consulting the five commissioners,” he said. </p>.<p>In its recent order, the state government had communicated to the GBA that it must establish a governance structure to regulate and supervise the construction of buildings in the city by using its existing workforce. A source in the GBA said that discussions had taken place regarding the formation of an enforcement squad, but senior officials were wary of the outcome. </p>.<p>On average, the now-dissolved Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued about 10,000 building plan approvals annually.</p>.GBA launches interactive map to show new corporation boundaries.<p>However, the number of property owners constructing new buildings could be two to three times higher, as the civic body does not approve plans on plots classified as ‘B’ khata, but allows the constructions by taking no action. </p>.<p>People fighting against illegal buildings in their neighborhoods have had little success, despite knocking on the doors of every enforcement agency.</p>.<p>The civic body has cited every excuse, from staff shortage to lack of funds, to buy time and allow the illegal construction to be completed.</p>.<p>R Rajagopalan, convener of the Bengaluru Coalition, a collective of citizens, said enforcement had become virtually non-existent in Bengaluru. “Exempting OC (Occupancy Certificate) will further encourage violations and circumvent the Supreme Court order that had stopped providing essential services to properties without legal compliance,” he noted.</p>.<p>Suhas Ananth Rajkumar, a resident of CV Raman Nagar, said the enforcement squad alone would not help unless punitive measures were introduced to ensure that engineers concerned take action against illegal buildings.</p>.<p>“So far, we have never heard of a single officer being punished for allowing illegal constructions. The civic body has laid out plenty of procedures, but illegal constructions thrive. While the BBMP did issue a couple of notices, demolitions rarely happened. The civic body must ensure unauthorised construction is not occupied. Once people realise that, they will stop breaking the law,” he said.</p>.<p>Some say action against illegal buildings is deliberately curtailed in Bengaluru as roughly about Rs 2,000 crore changes hands every year.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is working on a proposal to establish a new enforcement squad to exclusively crack down on illegal buildings. </p>.<p>The move follows rampant unregulated constructions in Bengaluru amid weak enforcement mechanisms and rising property prices. </p>.<p>An exclusive body, officials believe, may come in handy, as its engineering section is busy with other responsibilities. </p>.<p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said there was “loud thinking” about forming an exclusive body at the centralised level.</p>.<p>“While the individual municipal corporations can handle certain cases, there may be some pressure when it comes to demolishing buildings. However, a decision will be taken only after consulting the five commissioners,” he said. </p>.<p>In its recent order, the state government had communicated to the GBA that it must establish a governance structure to regulate and supervise the construction of buildings in the city by using its existing workforce. A source in the GBA said that discussions had taken place regarding the formation of an enforcement squad, but senior officials were wary of the outcome. </p>.<p>On average, the now-dissolved Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued about 10,000 building plan approvals annually.</p>.GBA launches interactive map to show new corporation boundaries.<p>However, the number of property owners constructing new buildings could be two to three times higher, as the civic body does not approve plans on plots classified as ‘B’ khata, but allows the constructions by taking no action. </p>.<p>People fighting against illegal buildings in their neighborhoods have had little success, despite knocking on the doors of every enforcement agency.</p>.<p>The civic body has cited every excuse, from staff shortage to lack of funds, to buy time and allow the illegal construction to be completed.</p>.<p>R Rajagopalan, convener of the Bengaluru Coalition, a collective of citizens, said enforcement had become virtually non-existent in Bengaluru. “Exempting OC (Occupancy Certificate) will further encourage violations and circumvent the Supreme Court order that had stopped providing essential services to properties without legal compliance,” he noted.</p>.<p>Suhas Ananth Rajkumar, a resident of CV Raman Nagar, said the enforcement squad alone would not help unless punitive measures were introduced to ensure that engineers concerned take action against illegal buildings.</p>.<p>“So far, we have never heard of a single officer being punished for allowing illegal constructions. The civic body has laid out plenty of procedures, but illegal constructions thrive. While the BBMP did issue a couple of notices, demolitions rarely happened. The civic body must ensure unauthorised construction is not occupied. Once people realise that, they will stop breaking the law,” he said.</p>.<p>Some say action against illegal buildings is deliberately curtailed in Bengaluru as roughly about Rs 2,000 crore changes hands every year.</p>