The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : High Court pulls up mahanagara palike for failing to construct residential quarters for pourakarmikas

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Monday, Jun 08, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court pulls up mahanagara palike for failing to construct residential quarters for pourakarmikas

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was again rapped by the Karnataka High Court. While on Wednesday it was pulled up for its failure to trace the body of Abhishek who was washed away in a drain, on Thursday it was taken to task for failing to provide shelter to pourakarmikas.

The issue was the construction of the economically weaker sections (EWS) quarters at Ejipura, Koramangala, Bangalore. The BBMP constructed 42 blocks, consisting of 86 flats opposite the Games Village in Koramangala 6th Block (Ward No 89), and these flats had been allotted in 1987 to the economically weaker sections of society. When one of the blocks collapsed in 2003, the BBMP decided to demolish all the blocks.

The flats were built between 1987 and 1992 and in 2003, Block No 13 collapsed due to poor construction. The State Government had then consulted the BBMP and other authorities and a decision was taken to demolish the quarters and build new quarters for the allottees. The occupants were asked to vacate the quarters and a letter sent to them on October 7, 2004 in this regard.

When the matter came up on Thursday, Justice Rammohan Reddy rapped the BBMP for its failure to provide shelter to the weaker sections of society.

He pointed to the photographs placed in court by Mohammad Noor Jan and another petitioner and observed that the BBMP engineers were not even competent to construct quarters.

When told that there was a dispute between two companies over the construction of the quarters, the court said it was unfortunate that people continued to suffer. The BBMP said the Government had recently issued an order asking it to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Maverick Holdings to go ahead with the project.

Mr. Reddy adjourned the case to June 11.

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