Not Smart! MCC Demolishing Octogenarian Couple’s Property Wall with NO Prior Notice

Not Smart! MCC Demolishing Octogenarian Couple’s Property Wall with NO Prior Notice

• Not Smart! Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Demolishing Octogenarian Couple’s Property Wall with NO Prior Notice, and also when the property is in dispute between two parties( one party being the elderly couple), and also when the case/matter is still pending in the District Court.

Mangaluru: Yet another not a SMART move by our SMART Officials of ‘SMART CITY’- the Mangaluru City Corporation, in razing down a property wall of a octogenarian couple, even when there is a dispute between the couple and another person over the property- and also when the matter on this issue is still pending in the District Court. Don’t our officials use their common sense before they do such a thing- absolutely stupidity?

In the wake of road widening on Bhoja Rao Lane ( near Dongarkeri) in the City, MCC in a hurry without issuing any prior notice to the home owners went ahead and razed the property compound wall, even when the property is in dispute between two parties. The said property on this stretch of the road, lying in the Harekal Laxman Pai compound, of which a portion belongs to Octogenarians, K Ananth Pai and K Laxmidevi Pai, both nearing to young 90 years of age. In spite of repeated requests by the elderly couple to the officials and the JCB driver during the operation, not to raze their compound wall, but all in vain- the wall came down right in front of their house. And the JCB driver with his hurry bury work, even severed the couple’s water pipeline, resulting in water spilling all over in the area.

But it is learnt after locals in that area intervened, MCC quickly restored the water connection. Unfortunately, the couple’s elder son was not at home when the incident happened, if not he would have taken a strong move in stopping all this nonsense. Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Ananth and Laxmidevi Pai’s son, Hari speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “My parents have been living in this house for over 32 years. I am totally surprised as to how MCC could raze our compound wall when there is a dispute between my parents and a neighbour in the same compound. And even when the dispute case is still pending in the court. This action taken by MCC is because of the money dealing between a builder, one of the property owner and the MCC Officials, which is totally corrupt”.

“The road widening of this stretch on Bhoja Rao Lane had been proposed decades ago, and just recently they have started widening the road. And far as I know, the funds for this project have not been approved nor sanctioned. This is nothing but a corrupt deal going on between certain parties and officials. I have warned the MCC officials, that if our wall is not reconstructed within a week, we will take legal action and take them to court, and will see that justice is served. This is absolutely not right to hurt the feelings of elderly people, razing the compound hall in front of their eyes, even when they begged to stop it. This demolition is totally illegal when the property is in dispute, and a case filed in the court,” added Hari emotionally.

In the meantime, the ward corporator Rajendra speaking to media had said that the MCC officials were not aware that the said property was in dispute and that a case on the issue was pending in the court. “The MCC had gone ahead in razing the wall after permission was given by one of the property owners. Since we have come to know that a case is pending in the court, I have requested the concerned authorities to rebuild the wall at the earliest, and also do the needful after obtaining appropriate permission from the authorities, and also the owners’ consent,” said the Corporator.

MCC Junior Engineer Nithyananda clarifying on this incident speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “I was in charge of the demolition exercise, and I do agree that we didn’t give a notice on paper, but we had informed the elderly couple orally a couple of days ago. MCC had issued notice to nearly 123 properties on this stretch of the road when the road widening was planned long ago, but the project got delayed by the Town Planning department. Due to this we had approached the senior couple, and based on their permission we went ahead to raze the compound wall”.

He further said, “But later, we found from one of the couple’s daughters, Sudha Chatterjee living in Mumbai that the property is in dispute, and we have stopped the work. We carry out the removal of obstruction in open spaces and are reluctant to touch inhabited structures, and hence the property wall was demolished. We will issue the notice to the couple soon, and see how to proceed. If the couple wants us to rebuild the wall, we will definitely do it “.