Thanking conservancy workers for their support, Sudhakar PN, a volunteer, has said that he feels proud to be one of the volunteers. “It is not a joke to continue clean-up programmes for 100 weeks. We are set to complete two years in four weeks. I consider my participation in the clean-up drive as a small contribution to society. Recently, we removed plastic and garbage from Turahalli Forest. We are grateful to the Deputy Conservator of Forest for his cooperation,’’ said Sudhakar.
However, BBMP officials seem to be unaware of the situation. The engineering department of BBMP East and the TEC department denied giving any authorisation. “We haven’t given any authorisation for parking in CBD apart from the CPS in 2018. The zonal division could have issued an authorisation,” said a senior BBMP official from TEC.
The legal saga surrounding the acquisition dates back to 2006 when the land belonging to Bangalore Palace was acquired for road expansion, sparking a dispute over the legitimacy of the action and the need for TDR. Supreme Court intervention ensued, directing key officials to appear personally and prompting the State Cabinet to justify its actions in court.