The Hindu       27.01.2011

Encroachment: panel for action against officials

Members of the Standing Committee for Major Works have recommended serving of show-cause notice on two officials from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Town Planning Department for reportedly failing to prevent encroachment of a natural drain on Vittal Mallya Road.

The members on Tuesday directed the town planning officials to stop construction activities of G-Stad Hotel on the road. Coming down heavily on the authorities for approving the building plan, committee chairperson H. Ravindra directed officials to withdraw the khata and the sanctioned building plan for the hotel that is under construction. He said that the drain upstream carrying water from Cubbon Park had been blocked, and directed officials to conduct a survey to ascertain the extent of encroachment.

However, BBMP officials claimed that the property promoter had given an undertaking to the BBMP to construct a box type drain at his own cost. They said that the building plan was approved in 2005, while the revised building plan was approved in 2010 for construction of ground plus 17 floors. The promoter had agreed to maintain a garden in the 12 guntas next to the drain, they added.

Later, during the inspection of ETA Star on Magadi Road, Mr. Ravindra warned promoters of filing a case against them for encroaching upon a property earmarked for a playground.

Mr. Ravindra claimed that ETA had carried out excavation work without getting plan approval from the BBMP.