Following the statement to us by BBMP Commissioner Manjunatha Prasad that the basement shops will be shutdown after May 23, it is now learnt that the BBMP is getting ready for this massive operation. As it requires a systematic way of conducting the operation without fear or favour, there needs to be some amount of planning. For this project, political will is not an issue as the action is ordered by the Karnataka High Court.
Enough time has already been given – more than three months – for all the shops to relocate from the basements. Ofcourse, there are many new shops coming up in the basements as the landlords are openly sceptical about BBMP’s real motives. However, they fail to see that they are violating a 1976 law. The real sufferers will be all those new tenants in basements, and here is where their ignorance will lead to financial losses.
Speaking to Residents Watch, Dr A Soujanya, Joint Commissioner, Bommanahalli, said: “We will begin the basement shutdowns soon. We have just resumed our work after the elections. We will have a meeting, prepare the time table and chalk out our next steps.”
