10th Oct 2024

PRESS RELEASE

WHITE ROSE LAYOUT - SPECIAL DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL BUILDINGS

Update 5

After repeated reminders, the RTI’s filed by us since February 2024 were finally answered.  

Here is the RTI disclosure:

The response was disappointing.  While the ADTP’s office seems to have promptly done its job, the Executive Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer didn’t seem to have made any progress.  A job which has a timeline of 117 days as per the circular issued by the Chief Commissioner, has not moved forward at all, even after an entire year!

We are therefore submitting this Open Letter to the Zonal Commissioner, who also happens to be the Chairman of the two committees that deal with demolition of both Building Violations as well as Unauthorised Constructions.

OPEN LETTER TO ZONAL COMMISSIONER

To:

The Zonal Commissioner,

Mahadevapura Zone

BBMP.

Dear Sir,

RTI DISCLOSURE -  WHITE ROSE LAYOUT - ANALYSIS AND QUESTIONS:

We have finally received a response from the AEE regarding an RTI filed by us, for the 2nd time.  This is the case of the White Rose Layout.  

1) An action was initiated by the Joint Commissioner Mahadevapura to identify and take action against illegal constructions in White Rose Layout, as per the JULY 2023 circular (BBMP Chief Commissioner issued detailed circular on 27.7.2023 ref: ಮು.ಆ/ಪಿ .ಆರ್/101/2023-24, to demolish all illegal buildings within a 117 day period, which was issued under directions of the Karnataka High Court). This action was started in White Rose Layout in Oct 2023, a year ago!  

2)  So, according to the 117 day timeline, all illegal buildings were to be identified and demolished within 4 months, ie., by Jan/Feb this year. However, we find that only the ADTP has finished their side of action (up to STEP 7, and that too only on the buildings that come under the category of plan violations, ie 30 buildings.)  Remaining steps even for this category come under the Executive Engineer, and they don't seem to have taken place.  

3)  As regards unauthorised buildings, ie., 38 of buildings identified by the ADTP in last Oct, not much action has been taken by the AEE/EE under whose purview it falls. The AEE has only now asked for information from the ADTP, as per information provided in the RTI.  

4)  As the Chairman of the Committees for demolition of unauthorised buildings, could you kindly let us know why the process is faltering?  

• Why have the EE Mahadevapura and AEE Whitefield not taken any action on the 30 plan violation buildings that the ADTP had processed by Dec 2023, the pending steps were theirs to take.
• Why has the AEE written to the ADTP only now, after a delay of a year, asking for details of the 38 unauthorised buildings that were identified a year ago?  
• Did the ADTP not inform the AEE/EE regarding the 38 unauthorised buildings in Oct last year itself? Was the earlier intimation ignored? Could you please demand an explanation from both the Town Planning officials as well as the Zonal Engineers?
• Can we expect action at least now, from the EE and the AEE, to demolish all identified plan violation and unauthorised buildings within the 117 days timeline?  For those that have already received notices, the timeline should be within two months, if we are correct?  And the remaining buildings, shouldn’t it be within 3-4 months?
• Also, since the survey in Oct 2023, many new buildings have cropped up in White Rose layout, at least 10-20 more may have cropped up.  These need also be included in the list.
• We had requested an itemised tabular list of all buildings within the layout as you can see in the RTI response also. But the AEE has not provided a tabular response.

REQUEST:

A)  Could we request you to direct the AEE, EE, ADTP, and AE Town Planning, to resurvey White Rose layout, make an itemised tabular list of all buildings including new buildings and under construction buildings, and provide an updated list, on the status of action taken?

B)  Could we also request you to direct them to take action as per the July 2023 Circular of the BBMP Chief Commissioner, and demolish buildings as per the 117 day timeline without fail?  

C)  Could we also request you to direct them to survey all other layouts and areas in Whitefield, such as Prashant Layout, Upkar Layout, Pai Layout, D Silva Layout, Samarpan Enclave, Prithvi Layout, Swami Vivekananda Road, ECC Road, Pattandur Agrahara Main Road, Borewell Road, Nallurhalli Main Road, Ambedkar Nagar, Whitefield Main Road, etc., and take action on unauthorised and violation buildings without delay?  

The lack of action / delay in action is encouraging more rogue builders to enter the fray and the entire area is collapsing under the strain of illegal buildings. Hence your expeditious action on the above would be highly appreciated.  This action is most necessary to save Whitefield.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Residents of Whitefield

CC:  

The Chief Commissioner, BBMP

Joint Commissioner, Mahadevapura Zone

Chief Engineer, Mahadevapura Zone

Executive Engineer, Mahadevapura

Assistant Executive Engineer, Whitefield Sub Divn

Joint Director Town Planning, Mahadevapura Zone

Additional Director Town Planning, Mahadevapura

Asst Engineer, Town Planning, Kadugodi Ward

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REFERENCES:  

Unauthorised PIL in High Court of Karnataka:  WP 41517/2019  

BBMP Commissioner’s Circular on Removal of Unauthorised and Illegal buildings:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17DcbiUmi3e1lKQLovrHhOUJ-bHkCrVEb?usp=sharing 

• Page 2 last para in this above circular clearly states that the JE/AE of every ward has to be alert to any construction activity, and report to the AEE/ADTP to take action, and to prevent any illegal or unauthorised construction.  Failure to do so makes them liable for disciplinary action.

For further information, please contact the following BBMP Officials:

Sub Committee - Illegalities / Violations,

Whitefield Citizens Ward Committees

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