There’s a takeover plot | | | Indian Express

There’s a takeover plot | | | Indian Express

There’s a takeover plot


Y Maheswara Reddy First Published : 22 Jan 2010 05:18:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 22 Jan 2010 07:23:34 AM IST
THE residents of B Narayanapura, Akashnagar and the surrounding areas in the KR Puram Assembly segment had seen a glimmer of hope when local politicians assured them that a 15-acre government land in the area, which was being used as a garbage dumping yard, would be converted to a park.
These residential areas came up on private lands many years ago. The landowners, who formed the layouts and sold their sites for building houses, did not make a provision for a park back then. The concerend authorities also did nothing to ensure that a provision for a park was kept while permitting the landowners to convert the revenue land for residential purposes.
But the promises for a park seem to be fading. One can see encroachers slowly eating up the land and politicians aiding and abetting the process.
Some people have been bold enough to remove the stones marking the boundary of the land and build a temple there. Some politicians are also allotting land for select people.
Looking at the temple and the temporary shelters that have come up, it looks like it is easy to encroach upon this government land.
“There are some vested interests.
They encourage people to put up temporary shelters after collecting a few thousands from the homeless,” says Kodanda Reddy, former vicepresident of Mahadevapura City Municipal Council, which was brough under the fold of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) a few years ago.
Many residents have brought these developments to the notice of local MLA Nandeesh Reddy. They said that the MLA has promised to do the needful.
“The temporary shelters are likely to grow into a slum. Then, it will be difficult for the BBMP to clear the slum after a few years because it will become a votebank for political parties,” said a resident.
Some residents, who stay close to this vacant land, complain of the unhygienic atmosphere. “The stench that emanates from the garbage is making our lives miserable. We cannot even invite guests to our houses due to the odour. It would be a relief for us if the vacant land is converted into a park or even if a government hospital or school is constructed there,” suggested Rathnamma, a housewife.
It was said that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has a plan to construct a ground-level water tank here but the locals are opposing it. The BWSSB has even put up a board for this purpose.
However, an assistant engineer of BWSSB claims that BBMP is yet to hand over the land to them. “There was a plan to construct a groundlevel water storage tank at the place.
The BBMP is yet to hand over the land to us,” says Made Gowda, Assistant Engineer, BWSSB. MLA Nandeesh Reddy was not available for comment.
maheswarareddy@expressbuzz.com