Citizens fed up with illegal businesses

The Federation of Resident Welfare Associations in Bengaluru, I Change Indiranagar, has written to state government officials regarding the inefficiency of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike officials. Their negligence has led to the establishment of illegal commercial enterprises around residential areas, resulting in violations of residents’ right to life.

Residents wrote to Dr Shalini Rajneesh, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka; Governor Thawarchand Gehlot; Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah; Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar; and other officials, highlighting the negligence of BBMP health and engineering officials, which led to the establishment of commercial enterprises around residential areas. This has resulted in issues such as parking problems, noise pollution, air pollution, and concerns regarding safety and security.

The letter stated, “When a building is constructed or renovated, the BBMP Engineering Department fails to inspect for violations of building by-laws. As a result, many buildings are constructed with no parking, utilising every available inch of real estate for construction.”

Residents highlighted that, according to the BBMP Commissioner circular dated June 23, 2015, health officials issue trade licenses based on electricity bills and rental agreements. However, these documents do not serve as valid proof of a building’s legality or its permitted business zone.

They pointed out a RTI filed in May, where the health official for CV Raman Nagar claimed to have issued only 378 trade licenses in Ward 80.

Residents reported that around 500 commercial establishments were illegally conducting business.

The residents said that despite raising objections to BBMP since 2018, a brewpub at No 48, 100 Feet Road has been granted a trade license, with the ground floor, designated for parking, converted into a microbrewery.—