When Dr S C Sharma, 45, resident of Jayanagar 4th Block filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force against a BBMP engineer who was allowing an illegal building to stand, he did not know that by sheer coincidence, engineers were going to revolt against BMTF police head Rajvir Sharma, an office of the rank of Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP).
The particular illegal building was constructed in 1992. The RTI record, which Citizen Matters has received from Sharma shows that BBMP (then BMP) has sanctioned a two storey building in 1992. But the owner has constructed a five storey building by violating the norms. “I have given compliant to KSPCB, BBMP and Lokayukta in 2011 but was of no use. We are losing privacy due to this illegal commercial building in the residential area,” says Sharma. Sharma filed a complaint with BMTF recently.
Since Dr Rajvir P Sharma took over at the BMTF nine months ago, he has opened the doors of the organisation to complaints. Sharma is an IPS officer of the 1987 batch of the Karnataka Cadre. He is also a medical and law graduate, and is a President Police Medal winner. He also specialises in forensic science.
Dr Rajvir Sharma (IPS) is an Assistant Director General of Police, heading the Bengaluru Metropolitan Task Force. Pic: Sankar C G.
The BMTF was formed in 1996 under the state goverment’s Urban Developent Department (UDD) to detect and investigate offences and prosecute persons indulging in unauthorised occupation of lands/property belonging to government and government organisations in Bangalore Metropolitan Area. It is supposed to work as a watchdog. It has a police wing (prosecution), town planning wing (for inspections) and an administration wing.
Working with Sharma in the BMTF is B Radha, Deputy Director of Town Planning. “We have received around 125 similar such complaints from residents across Bangalore. We don’t have power to take action against the builders but can take action against concerned BBMP engineers”, says Radha.
“BMTF has given notices to 132 BBMP engineers a week before for their irresponsible attitude”, says B Mallikarjun, superintendent of police BMTF, referring to engineers allowing illegal buildings to stand.
Sharma acknowledges that BMTF became active after he assumed charge. “We have given an opportunity for citizens to file complaints against all sort of illegal activities. We have created a website for that or else citizens can come here and complain”, he says.
Backlash on August 8th
On August 8th, frustrated by BMTF’s threat of action against engineers, the BBMP Officers and Officials Association held a massive protest at BBMP headquarters in N R Square. Over a thousand officials attended. The protesting officials demanded that a cabinet minister meet them and agree to take BMTF off their backs.
The commercial building in Jayanagar which was sanctioned as a two-storey structure in a residential area. BBMP declined to act on the owner citing an injunction the latter had brought about through civil court. Pic: Sankar C G.
R Subramanian, president of the offiicials’ association questions the jurisdiction of BMTF, despite the fact that legally BMTF appears to be in the right. “BBMP officials are working under Commissioner, and BMTF cannot take action against us without the commissioner’s permission”. Subramanian is questioning the independence of BMTF. “If we do anything wrong commissioner can suspend or dismiss us but not by BMTF”, he says.
Manoj Devinder Pukale, a high court advocate, disagrees with Subramanian. “BMTF is a regulatory authority and it can take action against BBMP engineers if any violation happened. Protesting against it and claiming exemption is absolutely reckless”, he says.
BBMP officals protesting against BMTF ADGP Rajvir Sharma’s threat of taking action on them. Pic: Sankar C G.
On August 8th evening, the mayor and deputy mayor agreed to meet the chief minister over the matter.
D Venkatesh Murthy, Mayor told Citizen Matters on August 9th that he had met Chief Minister Jadgish Shettar and Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka on 8th night and that the protest had had its impact. "They (CM and DyCM) have assured me withdrawal of the particular power of BMTF, by which they have taken action against the engineers,” Murthy said.
However, Murthy was cautious about the implications. “I am not saying our engineers have not done anything wrong", he added, saying that he acted because of the "standstill" status of work at BBMP the protest had caused. "All the cases against engineers will be transferred to the concerned police stations,” he said.
The old nexus
It is quietly accepted in Bangalore that BBMP engineers take bribes from violators and keep mum over complaints. “In front of me an assistant executive engineer took a bribe from an illegal building owner. The owner and engineer threatened me for giving the complaint against illegal building,” says a local resident of Jayanagar on condition of anonymity.
BBMP itself admits to this. S S Kandre, public relations officer at the BBMP, says “We know our engineers are not honest. The one who has to curb the violation fails to follow the rules.” Kandre also admits that the Technical Vigilance Committee under the BBMP Commissioner (TVCC) formed in 2006 is also a failure.
If a BBMP engineer fails to take action on an illegal building complaint, the petitioner can file a complaint directly to BMTF
bmtfpolicestation@gmail.com
O80-22975587, 22975586
Web: (currently down)
"BMTF send notices to the public servants on receiving complaints. If the public servant fails to respond in seven days we send another reminder letter and give ten more days. If he fails again, we will do inspection and file a case against him." — ADGP Rajvir Sharma.
Kandre though says that BBMP wants BMTF to come under BBMP. “To curb illegal violations BBMP is planning to draft a proposal to Urban Development Department to bring BMTF under BBMP”, he says.
Rajvir Sharma though, is a tough cop and does not take lightly to BBMP’s proposal to bring BMTF under it. “They might not have read section seven of Indian Constitution. It says clearly that no authority can interfere into the proceedings of police department”, he snaps.
BMTF short of staff
Currently, BMTF is short of manpower and has also being functioning inside different room within BBMP headquarters. “We are running short of staffs and we don’t have a building. But that does not matter if I have a good number of people to work with me. The public and the officials should be honest then all authority can perform well”, says Sharma. BMTF will soon move to a new office in the Shantinagar BMTC headquarters, he adds.
It remains to be seen whether the chief minister intervene and whether BMTF’s powers will be clipped. ⊕
The demand to clip the wings of BMTF especially when it is doing a great job will mean that law breakers and those who connive with them will go scot free and continue to defy law with impunity. There may be similar demands to curb the powers of other agencies like the Lokayukta too.
We need more RP Sharmas.
The citizens should get involved and ensure RP sharma to stay and the powers of BMTF is not diluted. I had complained to BBMP for nearly 6 months about forgery committed in the posession certificate to get Khata and building plan to facilitate commercial use in a residential area. But they didnt act inspite of our repeated complaints and allowed the construction saying we are just wasting our time running around. RP sharma took immediate action within half an hour. This shows how efficiently he does his work and how corrupt BBMP is. Where can an ordinary citizen get relief in case of transferring RP sharma/or diluting powers of BMTF
i want to highlight the issue of commercial activities in jp nagar 7th phase BOB colony i am the resident of Jp nagar 7th phase BOB colony 4th main this is the residential area there are lot of commercial activities happening in this area but this is purely residential area. but some are really unacceptable for residential areas. There is one grill factory beside the Mythtri sappire Apartment that makes the huge noise and disturbance to the near by residents it starts his work since 6 o’Clock in the morning its difficult even for us to sleep and whole day we suffer like that due to this factory our life became worst than hell. there are log of infants and kids and old age people are living near by my Kid also can’t Sleep property.I don’t know how they get licence to open these kind of shops/factories in residential areas. Dear Sir Please look into this matter. we will be grateful to you whole life. I am seeking help from you sir . Sir i am completely frustrated and hopeless from my life we are living in the situation worst than a Animal.
one thing i want to mention here that he encroached a part of Road and made temprory factory he do all his work on the main road.
Please help sir.
The blame squarely lies on outdated building by-laws. These outdated laws does not really serve to catalyse the needs for our growing city. If we need jobs, there has to be investment. Investment requires state of the art infrastructure. No matter what the honesty of Mr. Sharma is, the powers that be and we as a society should focus on the disease (viz outdated building by-laws), instead of curing the symptoms (violations).
appreciations to you sir.
I hope my grievance Will also be taken up and justice being served to us. We are middle class people and have purchased an appartment in loan 5 years back. However there is one masala hotel uttarahalli next to our appartment. the chimney of this hotel is situated right next to our flat and is running 24 hours. The sound of it makes really unbearable for us to live. Sir this hotel is a bar and restaurant and though it is on commercial site it is causing unbearable sound from chimney which makes unbearable for the residents. sir our life has become a curse because of this hotel. we have even given complaint to bbmp on this issue recently. I have even spoken to the manager of this hotel Mr. Srinath his number is 9880514456, requesting him to solve the chimney menace . But he even has no respect that i am a woman and is questioning me don’t you know hotel is there then why did you buy a house next to our hotel. Sir our only hope is you Rajiv Sharma sir. Please help us solve our problem. We Will be ever greatful to you through out our life. Sir the chimney makes noise like a loud generator. I can’t really express how much mental torture we are going through.
Rajiv Sharma sir Please help us from this problem.