Bengaluru: With 964 km of footpath encroachments already cleared across the GBA area, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday directed officials to clear the reamining ones by the end of August.
Addressing a virtual meeting held to review the ongoing drives to clear footpath encroachments, implement the 'Freedom from Waste' campaign and remove abandoned vehicles across the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) area, the minister said encroachment clearance is being undertaken along nearly 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city.
Of this, encroachments along 964 km of footpaths has already been cleared. Officials were directed to complete the clearance of all remaining ones by the end of this month.
In a statement, the GBA said that the minister instructed officials to carry out the footpath clearance drive strictly according to the planned schedule and directed that repairs of footpaths at locations where encroachments have been removed should be taken up simultaneously.
"It has been observed that street vendors are returning to locations from which footpath encroachments have already been removed and resuming business," it said.
Gowda, minister for Greater Bengaluru Development, issued strict instructions to take action against such repeat encroachment. Materials belonging to those who re-encroach and resume business should be seized, and a double penalty should be imposed on them, he told officials.
The footpath encroachment clearance drive must be implemented effectively, the minister said, directing officials to maintain continuous monitoring of locations from which encroachments have been removed.
He said a joint meeting with civic and police authorities would be convened shortly to strengthen enforcement and ensure that cleared stretches remain free of encroachments.
"Across the five city corporations under the GBA, 1,02,002 metric tonne of construction and demolition (C&D) waste has been identified at 4,483 locations so far. Of this, 43,492 metric tonne have been cleared from 1,810 locations," the GBA stated.
The minister directed officials to further intensify the operation and ensure effective implementation of the campaign through proper supervision and monitoring.
He also directed the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to undertake a comprehensive cleanliness drive in and around Hebbal Junction.
Along the Outer Ring Road stretch from Hebbal to KR Puram, the Bengaluru North, Bengaluru East and Bengaluru Central city corporations were directed to jointly undertake a comprehensive cleanliness drive, it said.
The minister also said that the drive to remove abandoned vehicles must be carried out proactively.
He directed the respective city corporations to assign responsibility for issuing notices on abandoned vehicles to Junior Health Inspectors, civic workers' supervisors and marshals.
Action should be taken against those who fail to discharge this responsibility properly, he said.
The concerned officials must also effectively supervise the clearance operation. After a vehicle owner pays the penalty following the issue of a notice, officials must ensure that the same vehicle is not simply moved and parked at another location.
The minister directed the Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao to write to the city corporations making it clear that strict action will be taken against officials who fail to properly discharge their responsibilities in this regard.
He directed that the footpath encroachment clearance drive, 'Freedom from Waste' campaign and abandoned vehicle clearance drive must be completed by August 30.
Following completion of the drives, a mechanism should be put in place to enable citizens to submit complaints regarding any remaining issues, Gowda said.
He issued a strict warning that action would be taken against the concerned officials if shortcomings or ineffective implementation of the drives are brought to notice.