Vijayapura: The District Administration has served a showcause notice to the Commissioner of Vijayapura City Corporation for allowing some unknown people to develop a platform in order to install a statue of freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose at Itagi Petrol Pump Circle of the City.
The unknown people have dug up a newly asphalted road at Itagi Fuel Station junction and have developed a basic infrastructure for setting-up a statue. Interestingly, the work is neither carried out by the City Corporation nor the Department of Public Works (PWD). This came to the notice of the District Administration only when a group of people approached the Deputy Commissioner with a memorandum requesting to allow to set-up a statue of one of the leaders of their community. DC was flabbergasted to read that the authorities are carrying out new works to set-up a statue, which is against the Supreme Court order.
Acting swiftly, Deputy Commissioner P. Sunil Kumar has served showcause notice to the Commissioner of the City Corporation and Deputy Superintendent of Police of Vijayapura on Thursday February 24.
DC P. Sunil Kumar pointed out that, “The Supreme Court has banned fresh encroachment of roads, pavements and sideways by construction of religious structures or installation of statues of public figures. Flouting the order of the apex court, the miscreants have made an attempt to develop infrastructure to install a statue. We have not given permission to anyone to carry out the works.”
“I have served showcause notice to the City Corporation and the authorities concerned. I have also sought an explanation from the Commissioner of VCC. With regard to the plans of setting-up freedom fighter Jagjivan Ram statue at Hotel Godavari junction, the land is under litigation. I will look into the issue and take a call. We will consider such violations seriously,” added DC Sunil Kumar.
According to sources, “The works were carried out by the followers of Vijayapura MLA without taking approval from the authorities concerned.”
“I had thought that the works were being carried out by the PWD as they were developing a road in the same junction. As soon as it came to my notice, I asked the people to discontinue the works. The investigation will be carried out and action will be initiated against the violators,” said Vijay Makalaki, Commissioner of VCC.
