High Court mounts pressure on BBMP, Maverick to resolve Ejipura quagmire

The question of identification and rehabilitation of the low-income citizens who are to get the long-pending flats is not resolving easily. The High Court has now forced a settlement meeting and may deliver a final verdict very shortly.

Now one more week to see the fate of the reconstruction of EWS flats for the poor at Ejipura. After the hearing High Court Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Aravind Kumar adjourned the session to Aug 21st, 2012. Aniyan Joseph feels that, on 21st High Court may release a final order over EWS flats.

In a week the fate of the reconstruction of EWS flats for the poor at Ejipura will be known. Pic: Sankar C G

On August 8th, the High Court asked BBMP, Maverick Holdings and Aniyan Joseph, advocate for original 1512-beneficiaries in the Ejipura case, to meet on 9th evening at BBMP to resolve the allotment and rehabilitation crisis.

“In the meeting we have discussed about the relocation, identification, issues in the plan and so many other things. I think everything is in the right track now and we can wait for the final court order,” says Aniyan.

Earlier on August 2nd, the court had given one week BBMP, Maverick, the construction company that build Garuda Mall, and the original allottees to sort out matters. But there has been no progress, with BBMP and Maverick at loggerhead with the original allottees.

The allottees had moved to high court in 2011 when they faced with the prospect that unauthorised people currently staying in the EWS colony were likely to get the new BBMP flats. This was due to the ID-cards issued by BBMP to them between 2007-11. At the hearing on on July 18th, the High Court asked the BBMP Commissioner to file an affidavit with the detailed action plan of the reconstruction. BBMP complied.

Folowing this, at the court on August 2nd, advocate Aniyan Joseph, after scrutinising BBMP’s affidavit, said he was certain that if BBMP and Maverick were to go on with the construction, without making clarity on who are the original allottees, the flats may reach to some other unauthorised people.

“Identifying 1512 original allottees is a herculean task. So we need to have a transparent mechanism to identify those people,” said Thiruvenkatam B C, another advocate appearing for original allottees.

The petitioners have also demanded proper rehabilitation till the construction of flats gets over. Maverick’s suggestion of rehabilitation in Hosur Road, at Iggalur, 23 kms from Ejipura was not acceptable to the original allottees. “We are daily wage workers. Coming to the city everyday for work will be a hectic task if we be relocated to Hosur Road,” says Meena Venkatappa, one of the original allottees, currently residing at AT Halli, near Richmond circle.

On the other hand, Uday Garudachar, head of Maverick Holdings, said, “We know their pathetic living conditions. These kinds of demands are unacceptable and we are here not to provide everything they seek.”

Over the past eight years, reconstruction of EWS flats has not seen the light of day. The issue has come up to the court eight times, on various grounds: issues over the agreement, tender disputes and the conflict between original allottees and unauthorised people. “This time we do not want the same to happen again. We need full clarity on every issue over the reconstruction,” says Thiruvenkatam.

All eyes are on the High Court of Karnataka, since it appears to be the only body that can force a resolution. The next hearing is on August 13th, and before that is the meeting between BBMP, Maverick and petitioners’ advocate Aniyan Joseph.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Aarey colony has not been taken seriously by any government: Incumbent MP Gajanan Kirtikar

Gajanan Kirtikar, who joined hands with Eknath Shinde, says that SRA schemes should be allowed for Aarey residents to save the forest.

As India gets ready to vote to decide who will represent them in Parliament, Citizen Matters is speaking to elected Parliamentary representatives from Mumbai. We will ask them about the work they have done for the city, policies they have supported and why Mumbaikars should cast votes in their favour (or of their political parties). As part of this series, we spoke to Gajanan Kirtikar, who represented Mumbai North West for the past two terms. He is an active Parliamentarian who was one of top 10 MPs who asked the maximum number of questions during their tenure, according to a report…

Similar Story

Lok Sabha 2024: Know your MP — Gajanan Kirtikar, Mumbai North West

After long innings in politics, Gajanan Kirtikar faces the challenge of his son staying with Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena in 2024 elections.

Name: Gajanan Kirtikar  Constituency: Mumbai North West Gajanan Kirtikar, 80 is an old hand in Maharashtra politics and has risen up the ranks of his party. He has always been with the Shiv Sena, having been part of the core team of Bal Thackeray, subsequently working under Uddhav Thackeray. He chose to move to the Shiv Sena faction led by present chief minister Eknath Shinde.  He served as a legislator for four terms between 1990 to 2009 and then entered the Parliament for two terms from 2014. He also served as the minister of state for home and tourism and…