Bengaluru: Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Friday directed officials to take strict action to prevent cleared footpaths across the city from being encroached upon again, including filing FIRs against repeat violators.
During a virtual review meeting on footpath encroachments, the minister said merely removing existing encroachments would not solve the problem unless a mechanism was established to ensure that the cleared stretches remained free of illegal occupation.
Joint task forces for monitoring
Gowda directed officials to establish joint task forces comprising police and civic personnel in the five city corporation jurisdictions.
These teams will be responsible for continuously monitoring footpaths that have already been cleared and taking immediate action if encroachments return.
He instructed officials to conduct both regular and surprise inspections and ensure that enforcement agencies work together rather than carrying out separate operations.
“Cases of re-encroachment should be identified promptly and reported with photographic and geo-tagged evidence,” he said, directing marshals and beat police personnel to jointly inspect the affected areas.
The minister also called for clear allocation of responsibility among officials so that there is no ambiguity over who is accountable for monitoring cleared stretches.
FIRs against repeat offenders
Gowda said repeat violations should be treated seriously and should attract stronger legal action.
Officials were instructed to register FIRs against those who repeatedly encroach upon cleared footpaths. Materials used to create or maintain the encroachments should also be seized.
He further directed officials to impose higher penalties wherever permitted under existing rules.
The minister emphasised that officials should not merely report that an encroachment drive had been completed. Instead, progress should be tracked regularly to establish whether the cleared locations continue to remain free from encroachments.
He also sought regular review meetings and progress reports to assess enforcement and identify stretches where re-encroachment remains a concern.
Roads with vending restrictions to be identified
The minister also directed authorities to identify roads where street vending is restricted or prohibited.
The details should be formally communicated to the concerned police and civic authorities so that enforcement can be carried out in a coordinated manner.
Gowda stressed that pedestrian and vehicular movement must not be obstructed, particularly on major roads and routes carrying heavy traffic.
He said maintaining smooth public movement should remain a priority while dealing with footpath encroachments and street vending-related issues.
Fresh survey of street vendors
Gowda called for a fresh and comprehensive survey of street vendors across the city at the earliest.
He said further action should be taken based on the eligibility of vendors and applicable legal provisions following completion of the survey.
The minister also directed officials to complete pending statutory procedures related to street vending, including the formation of Town Vending Committees in accordance with the law.
The committees are expected to play an important role in regulating street vending and addressing issues concerning vendors within the statutory framework.
Chief commissioners asked to issue joint circular
Gowda further directed that a joint order or circular be issued at the Chief Commissioner level to establish a uniform mechanism for enforcement.
The proposed order will cover coordinated police and civic operations, formation of joint task forces, identification of restricted areas on a road-wise basis, detection of re-encroachments and legal action against violators.
The move is aimed at shifting the city’s approach from one-time clearance drives to continuous monitoring and enforcement.
By introducing joint teams, geo-tagged evidence, surprise inspections and stronger action against repeat offenders, the government intends to ensure that footpaths cleared during enforcement drives remain accessible to pedestrians.
The directions also seek to balance enforcement with the legal framework governing street vendors, while prioritising the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles on Bengaluru’s busy roads.