• Chief Secretary issues direction to District Administration
• Previous dismantling drive in city was taken up in 2012 

Mysore/Mysuru: Religious structures that have come up illegally on roads, footpaths and parks will soon be reduced to debris as directions have been issued to Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to go ahead with demolition with Police protection in their respective jurisdictions.

The date of demolition, however, is not yet decided and a call regarding this will be taken by the MCC and MUDA Commissioners. The MCC and MUDA officers have been asked to undertake the demolition drive over a four week window.

Confirming this to Star of Mysore this morning, Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr. Bagadi Gautham said that directions have been issued to the officers to go ahead with the demolition drive. 

“Not all structures will be demolished and we need to identify the structures and the extent of the illegality. The Government order says that those structures that have minimum violations can be regularised. Those structures that are totally illegal and there is no chance of regularisation, will be demolished. We will go by the rules and regulations,” the DC said. 

Chief Secretary meet

Sources from the MCC said that Chief Secretary P. Ravikumar held a meeting with senior officers of the district through video-conferencing two days back and a follow-up was sought on the demolition drive and the reasons behind the delay. The MCC had carried out a massive demolition drive in January 2012 where over 87 illegal structures were razed.

The MCC then had identified 145 illegal structures constructed on roads, parks and footpaths and had razed 87 of them under the leadership of the then MCC Commissioner K.S. Raikar. Now as per fresh estimates, there are 92 illegal structures that need to be demolished. 

The Chief Secretary reportedly expressed his displeasure over these illegal structures being allowed to thrive despite a High Court order. The Karnataka High Court has repeatedly pulled up the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in this regard. 

Survey to be conducted 

During the meeting with the Chief Secretary, MCC Commissioner Lakshmikantha Reddy reportedly gave it in writing that he would take measures to take up demolition and ensure that the Court orders are fully  complied with.

Sources said that the MCC Commissioner will soon call a meeting of officers to conduct a fresh survey to identify unauthorised/ illegal religious structures in the city. The survey will involve both Engineering and Revenue Departments of all the nine MCC Zones and a plan of action will be prepared for removing these illegal structures with assistance from the Police.

The survey will have details such as whether the building is located on Government property, was it constructed without permission and other details. Such a survey will pave the way for removal, relocation and regularisation of buildings, sources added.

In a PIL filed in 2009, the Supreme Court had noted that structures that had come up before 2009 may be shifted to other locations while no structures should be allowed after that. While passing strictures on the BBMP, the High Court had asked the officers to follow the Supreme Court order and not to bow down to the pressure from elected representatives or local leaders in identifying and demolishing illegal religious structures.