Bengaluru Demolition Drive: Actor Darshan's house, ex-minister's hospital under BBMP scanner

Bengaluru, Aug 19: After Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) razed shops and houses of ordinary citizens, it is now slowly turning its sights onto the properties of bigwigs in the state capital.

The BBMP's Rajarajeshwarinagar Zone Joint Commissioner B. Veerabadrappa said he had sent a letter to the Revenue Department seeking superimposed maps of location of Kannada film actor Darshan Thoogudipa's house and former minister Shamanur Shivakumar's SS hospital.

Veerabhadrappa said the BBMP would survey the properties based on the Revenue Department's report on encroachment of storm-water drains and mark the alignments for demolition.

Besides, there were reports of Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar's Hill View School also coming under the scanner. BBMP officials, however, said Shivakumar's properties were not on their list.

Speaking to OneIndia, Darshan's brother Dinakar Thoogudipa said, "We learnt about encroachments from the media and we contacted the BBMP officials ourselves. They suspect that a portion of about 5 ft at the back of the house may have to be razed."

Dinakar said Darshan has no qualms if the BBMP demolishes the portion. "He is currently engaged in a film-shoot. He told me to just let the BBMP do its work."

Davangere South MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa said his SS Hospital in RR Nagar was built on 2.34 acres of land given to him on lease by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) for 30 years. "We have not encroached on any storm-water drain while building the hospital. How can land given on lease by the BDA itself be in violation," Shivashankarappa said.

Energy Minister Shivakumar's personal assistant said if the BBMP finds any encroachment on storm-water drains at Hill View School, "they can fearlessly raze it down for the public good".

OneIndia News