Illegal buildings thrive in Bengaluru despite opposition

18 Jun 2024 CW Team

In October 2023, the Joint Director of Town Planning (JDTP) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) identified 38 illegal buildings in a layout in Whitefield. These buildings were pinpointed during a crackdown on unauthorised construction activities in the area.

The civic agency was expected to initiate actions to demolish these illegal structures within 117 days, as mandated by a directive issued by the commissioner in July the previous year.

However, residents pointed out that nearly seven months have passed since the special drive commenced in White Rose layout, and no buildings have been demolished yet.

According to Sandeep Anirudhan of Namma Whitefield, residents welcomed BBMP's special demolition initiative, hoping that illegal structures would be cleared within the 117-day timeframe promised by the BBMP Chief Commissioner. However, they expressed disappointment that the enforcement effort lost momentum within two months. BBMP marshals, initially deployed to curb illegal construction, were withdrawn around mid-December, resulting in a resurgence of unauthorized building activities.

Residents also disclosed that they had filed RTIs seeking updates on the ongoing special drive, both with the ADTP Mahadevapura and EE Mahadevapura. According to the RTI response from the Additional Director of Town Planning (ADTP), at the outset of BBMP's anti-illegal buildings drive in White Rose Layout, there were 72 buildings. Out of these, only 34 had obtained plan approvals from BBMP. The remaining 38 buildings did not have any sanctioned plans. Furthermore, among the 34 buildings with plan approvals, 28 were found to have deviations from the approved plans.

As per the response, Town Planning officials have taken some measures regarding buildings with sanctioned plans but deviations. However, there is no information on actions taken against buildings that were constructed without any plan approval.

Infrastructure Transport

18 Dec 2025

RVNL secures Rs 1.65 billion railway bridge project from North Eastern Railway

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from North Eastern Railway for a Rs 1.65 billion railway infrastructure project, strengthening its order book and showcasing its expertise in complex railway construction.The project involves constructing the substructure of a major railway bridge over the Gandak River, located between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations. This is part of the doubling of the Gorakhpur Cantt–Valmikinagar railway section, aimed at improving line capacity and operational efficiency.The bridge will feature 14 spans of 61 metres each, built on double D-t..

Raebareli’s Modern Coach Factory rolls out 15,000th railway coach

The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh has achieved a major manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 15,000th railway coach on December 15, the Ministry of Railways said.In a press note, the ministry said that MCF has already produced 1,310 coaches in the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained high output at one of Indian Railways’ most advanced passenger coach manufacturing units.Established in 2007 at Lalganj in Raebareli district, MCF was built at a cost of Rs 31.92 billion with an initial annual production capacity of 1,000 coaches. The factor..

RailTel wins Rs 260.88 million IT infrastructure order from VOC Port

Navratna public sector undertaking RailTel Corporation of India has secured an IT infrastructure order worth Rs 260.88 million from V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC Port), strengthening its presence in port-led digital transformation projects.According to an exchange filing dated December 16, 2025, RailTel has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from VOC Port Authority for the implementation of advanced IT infrastructure at the port. The project is domestic in nature and is scheduled to be completed by August 15, 2026.The company said the order has been awarded in the normal course of ..