Namma Bengaluru Foundation clarifies its stand to govt on SC stay on Akrama Sakrama

Bengaluru, July 19: Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) in its letter today to the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai & Principal Secretary Manjunatha Prasad N confirmed that they have no objection to the Government approaching the Supreme Court and seeking exemption for poor and middle-class families who are impacted by the stay on Akrama Sakrama.

In recent days many people have approached NBF with their problems of not being able to rationalise the deviations of their homes as there was a SC stay on Akrama Sakrama intiated by NBF. The stay at the Supreme Court has paused all regularization of deviations in plan of properties. NBF has also been approached by the Union Minister Sri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on behalf of the poor and middle-class families, to clarify our stand on the stay.

In 2016, there was an attempt by the then Congress Government to enact the Akrama Sakrama Legislation that would have had the effect of regularising illegal constructions and benefitting many connected builders.

Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court [SLP(C) No.956-957/2017] which stayed the proposed legislation and stopped what would have been the brazen attempt to enrich builders who have committed illegalities in our proud city Bengaluru.

Even during that period, NBF was and continues to maintain that Akrama Sakrama must not benefit builders to get windfall gains from their illegalities, but that regularization of properties of those citizens who have built their own homes especially poor and middle class should be permitted.

Vinod Jacob GM, NBF says, "We will support the Governments petition to Supreme Court seeking this exemption of Akrama-Sakrama as long as it helps the poor and the middle-class homeowners and also recommend that government also consider punitively penalising erring builders and officials with vested interests who aided these real estate builders".

About Namma Bengaluru Foundation:
Namma Bengaluru Foundation is an NGO that works determinedly to Protect Bengaluru and the rights of its citizens and Neighbourhoods. It works thru advocacy, partnership, and activism for a better Bengaluru. The foundation acts as a platform for citizens to participate in the city's planning and governance, to fight corruption and ensure accountability of public money and government assets.