Bengaluru: Minister pulls up officials over waste disposal, re-encroachment

Taking on officials once again, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda asked officials from the Bengaluru North City Corporation whether they were serving the public or siding with the contractor over waste disposal. 

The Minister was inspecting areas surrounding the Hebbal flyover as part of the ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign on Friday (September 18), when he directed officials in the corporation on maintaining public spaces and keeping them free of waste. 

Joint inspections

During a virtual meeting later in the day, the Minister also directed civic officials to ensure that footpaths cleared of encroachments do not get occupied again, asking them to form joint teams with the police to monitor the stretches and take action against repeat offenders.  

After the Minister was informed that encroachments along 1,373.32 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads have been cleared across five city corporations, he said the focus should now be on preventing the cleared stretches from returning to their earlier condition. 

Seize material, register FIRs

Even as street vendors have been demanding that a fresh survey be conducted and vending zones be identified before removing them, the Minister directed officials to register FIRs, seize materials and impose higher penalties on repeat offenders wherever permitted under law.