Bengaluru, Oct 26: Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar today said the drive to demolish unauthorised and substandard quality buildings was continuing in Bengaluru.
Addressing a joint press conference with CM Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha after a meeting on rain damage, he said, “We have decided to stop unauthorized construction of buildings. The previous government had curtailed the powers of officials to take action against unauthorized construction. Our government has decided to give powers of stopping unauthorized construction to BBMP, BDA, BMRDA too. The registration of unauthorized properties will also be stopped. At the same time, we are also focusing on clearing encroachments.”
Asked about criticism by the Opposition leaders about flood relief works, he said, “Two children drowned in a lake in Bengaluru and people died due to sub-standard construction. There have been no rain related deaths in the city. We have placed the flood affected people in hotels and have made arrangements for food. Our officials have worked 24×7.”
Asked if there was a permanent solution for flooding, he said, “We have decided to build storm water drains and develop roads along those storm water drains. The roads alongside storm water drains protect buildings in the area and also provide easy access to cleaning and desilting of storm water drains. In the first phase, we would build about 300 km such roads.”
Asked what directions were given to DCs of the state during the meeting, he said, “We have instructed them to give compensation wherever there is damage to crops due to rains.”
Replying to allegations of the BJP that Congress was doing politics of appeasement by acquiring farmers land through Wakf, he said he would not want to comment on that.
