Karnataka HC pulls up BBMP for inaction

The Karnataka high court on Wednesday pulled up the city corporation, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, for its inaction against illegal constructions.

A division bench headed by Justice D V Shylendra Kumar rapped the BBMP for not initiating any action against illegal constructions which were coming up everyday in the city.

The court was hearing a PIL against former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda accusing him of illegally constructing a commercial complex in a residential layout here.

"The BBMP means corruption," the court observed and adjourned the petition by two weeks for the respondents to file their objections to it.

The petition filed in August last year, by a journalist and social worker, Nagalakshmi Bai, had accused Gowda of violating laws to build a five-storey commercial complex on a residential plot.

The Bangalore Development Authority had allotted a 5,000 sq ft plot to Gowda in 2006. Another plot, next to that of Gowda, was allotted to Bharatiya Janata Party member of Legislative Assembly D N Jeevaraj.

Gowda allegedly 'amalgamated' both the plots without the Bangalore Development Authority's approval, the public interest litigation said.

The high court had then initially rapped the petitioner, saying the PIL appeared to be 'politically motivated' and 'publicity-driven' as it was filed days after Gowda became the chief minister.

The court had also asked the petitioner to furnish documents to substantiate the argument. When the matter came up again on September 20 last year, the high court had deferred it.