Platinum City residents stage protest against eviction order

Bangalore-Development-AuthorityResidents of Yeshwantpur's Platinum City apartments on HMT Road in Peenya held a protest on Friday against the Bangalore Development Authority's notices to vacate their homes.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is issuing eviction orders as the residential enclave has not obtained obligatory occupancy certificate from it.

So far, the BDA has served eviction orders to a total of 17 residents, while more than 400 are reportedly in the pipeline.

The residents alleged that BDA Commissioner Sham Bhat overrode humanitarian considerations by giving the builders just a month to get the OC. They also protested against India Builders Constructions' inaction in the case.

KP Subramanyam, a resident of the Platinum City apartments, said, "We are scared that we might be asked to vacate our houses. Where will we go?"

RTI activist Anil Kalgi, who also is a resident of the apartments, has filed a complaint against the builders.

In the complaint, the RTI activist alleged that the builders, who built 2,400 flats as part of the residential enclave, were granted slightly more than 34 acres of land for the construction of the flats. The builders were supposed to provide lung space and parks, but they encroached upon around 8 civic amenities sites for constructing parking lots.

The residents also alleged that they had been asking the builders to obtain the due certifications cleared for many years but all in vain.