Civic officials on Tuesday cracked the whip on commercial establishments in residential areas that have been operating in violation of the zonal regulations. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) closed the shutters of several establishments on 9th Main Road, HAL 2nd Stage and sealed 10 units in the area after conducting a detailed enquiry.
‘Conducting hearings’
The civic body has identified 520 commercial establishments in areas such as Sarvagnanagar, Indiranagar and HAL and has been inspecting them, Dr. Ashok, Joint Commissioner, BBMP East, said.
“As per the High Court order, we have been conducting hearings to verify whether these establishments are violating zonal norms and whether they have a proper licence. So far, I have ordered the closure of 60 establishments in these areas.” he added.
A notice pasted on the shutters of the shops closed during the drive states that during an inspection by BBMP, the businesses were found to be operating illegally by violating zonal regulations and therefore closed.
Residents angry
The notice also mentions complaints by Residents’ Welfare Associations and a subsequent High Court order on the issue. This has angered several resident activists in the area, who hold that the BBMP appears to be trying to create a divide between residents and businesses by blaming the closure on residents, when there is a violation of law that the palike must act on independently.
While welcoming the move, members of I Change Indiranagar, a federation of residents’ welfare associations in Indiranagar and HAL, noted that the court orders were over a year old.
The petitions were filed by B.M. Kaval Residents’ Welfare Association and Indiranagar Stage II Welfare League.
“While B.M. Kaval residents had petitioned against six establishments, the Indiranagar residents had listed out 70 odd establishments that were violating zonal regulations. Judgement in both the petitions was in favour of the residents in 2017. The BBMP should have prioritised these establishments first and closed them down,” said Sneha Nandihal of B.M. Kaval RWA.
Residents said that these establishments are right in the middle of residential areas. “The biggest problems we face are that of noise and safety. We don’t know who is entering and leaving our streets,” Ms. Nandihal added.