Pramesh S Jain
KR. Market encroachment clearance drive:
1) No.of shops demolished 223.
2) JCB’s-6.
3) 10 Wheeler-4.
4) Tractors -10.
Manpower-60 engineers.
60-BSWML staff.
20-Heath staff.
fire.
Police.
Medical support.
Ambulances.
Total foot path encroachment :223.
Victoria Hospital Right side :33.
Underflyover 33.
Inside grill -157.
*Large-scale and historic encroachment clearance drive.
*Encroachments removed legally in compliance with Supreme Court and High Court orders.
*Successful operation in one of the city’s busiest and most challenging areas.
Under the directions of Greater Bengaluru Development Minister,Krishna Byre Gowda and under the leadership of Bengaluru Central City Corporation Commissioner, Jagadish G,a major encroachment clearance drive was successfully conducted from 10:00 AM today in the Chamarajpet Division.
The operation covered the area beneath the Mysore Road flyover in front of KR Market and the surroundings of Victoria Hospital,where long-standing encroachments had severely affected pedestrian and vehicular movement.
By clearing one of Bengaluru’s most congested and challenging encroachment zones,the operation has restored safe and unobstructed movement for pedestrians and motorists.
The KR Market and Victoria Hospital areas are among the busiest commercial and public zones in the city, attracting lakhs of visitors every day.
For several years,footpaths in these areas had been occupied by unauthorized structures,forcing pedestrians, senior citizens,women,children,and patients to walk on the carriageway.
Considering the heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic, priority was given to restoring public safety and ensuring smooth movement.
Major Clearance of 233 Encroaching Shops:
As part of a comprehensive plan to restore footpaths for public use,a total of 233 unauthorized shops were removed.
The operation successfully reclaimed pedestrian pathways that had remained encroached upon for several years,making them fully accessible for safe and convenient public use.
Area-wise Details:
The clearance operation included 200 shops located within the pedestrian safety railing along the right side of Victoria Hospital and 33 shops situated beneath the Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji Flyover (Mysore Road Flyover),bringing the total number of encroachments removed to 233.
Machinery and Vehicles Deployed:
To ensure the operation was carried out efficiently and without causing inconvenience to the public, the Bengaluru Central City Corporation deployed 6 JCB excavators,4 heavy tipper trucks,and 10 tractors.
Along with removing the encroachments,the teams ensured that all debris and materials were promptly transported away to maintain uninterrupted public movement.
Prior Notice to Shop Owners:
Before undertaking the clearance drive,the BCCC Marshal Team conducted public announcements around KR Market and nearby areas on Monday and Tuesday, requesting owners of unauthorized shops to voluntarily remove their encroachments from public footpaths.
Official notice stickers were also affixed to the concerned establishments,informing them about the scheduled action.
The clearance drive was initiated only after these advance notices were issued and all due legal procedures had been followed.
Action in Compliance with Supreme Court and High Court Orders:
The encroachment removal was carried out strictly in accordance with the directions and judgments of the Supreme Court of India and the High Court,which mandate the removal of encroachments from public footpaths and ensure their availability for pedestrians.
Coordinated Multi-Department Operation:
The operation was successfully executed through coordinated efforts involving multiple departments.
A total of 90 officials and staff from the Chamarajpet and Chickpet Engineering Divisions,60 personnel from Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), 20 officials from the Health Department,20 officials from the Revenue Department,60 police personnel,20 BESCOM officials,one team from the Fire and Emergency Services Department,and medical staff with ambulance support participated in the operation to ensure public safety and the smooth execution of the drive.
Multi-Agency Coordination:
To ensure that the operation proceeded safely and without disruption,close coordination was maintained with the Police Department,Fire and Emergency Services Department,BESCOM,medical personnel,and ambulance services.
Necessary precautionary measures were taken throughout the operation to safeguard the public and maintain law and order.
Successful Operation Under the Commissioner’s Leadership:
The encroachment clearance drive was successfully conducted under the leadership of Bengaluru Central City Corporation Commissioner,Jagadish G,and in the presence of Additional Commissioner (Development) Venkatachalapathi.
Officers,engineers,and field staff remained on-site throughout the operation to supervise and ensure its effective implementation in the areas beneath the Mysore Road flyover in front of KR Market and around the Victoria Hospital compound.
Priority to Pedestrian Safety:
Commissioner,Jagadeesh G stated that the Bengaluru Central City Corporation will continue to undertake similar special drives in the coming days with the objective of keeping footpaths free from encroachments and providing citizens with safe,convenient, and uninterrupted pedestrian movement across the city.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Bengaluru Central City Corporation Commissioner, Jagadish G,and in the presence of Additional Commissioner (Development),Venkatachalapathi.Also present were Joint Commissioner,Hemanth Sharan, Chief Engineer,Vijay Kumar Haridas,Chamarajpet Executive Engineer,Bhaskar Reddy,officials from Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), officers from the Market Division Police,KSRP security personnel,officials from BESCOM,personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services Department,and staff from the Revenue Department and others present during the drive.
About 233 shops encroaching the footpath around the the Historic Bengaluru Fort and Victoria Hospital leading up to KR Market cleared today by the Bengaluru Central Corporation.
Proper metal fabricated shops were set up based on forged documents of erstwhile BBMP.
The Historic Fort was as completely covered from the road by these shops. There was no space for people to walk in this area with highest pedestrian and vehicular traffic in Bengaluru.
Hon High Court upon discovering that the shop owners possessed bogus documents, ordered them to vacate themselves and clear the encroachment within 15 days.
Authorities waited for 20 days and cleared the encroachments today in a major win for lakhs of ordinary people who everyday use victoria Hospital and KR Market. Hats off to our officers for peacefully and legally clearing this massive encroachment of public land says Krishna Byre gowda.
