No last rites in civic amenity sites: HC

BANGALORE: The Karnataka high court has disposed of a petition filed by a senior citizen, while asking BBMP to prevent any burials/cremation at two civic amenity (CA) sites 17& 18, next to the petitioner's site, at Ideal Homes Layout, near Kengeri, Bangalore South taluk.
"Civic amenity site No. 17 and 18 are reserved for park. Certainly, BBMP within whose jurisdiction these sites are situated should maintain them as civic amenity sites and develop them as parks.They shall also take steps to prevent further burials or cremation and not to provide any facilities for this said purpose," Justice AS Bopanna observed while disposing of the petition filed by senior citizen AV Devendra Rao.
The petitioner, who is the site owner, had moved court in 2009 seeking a direction to be given to BBMP to shelve/abandon the proposed project of establishing a graveyard in those CA sites, which are close by.
Petitioner's father Vittal Rao was allotted a site in the layout spread over 408 acres and seven-and-a-half guntas in areas under Halagevaderahalli and Kenchanahalli coming under Kengeri Hobli of Bangalore south taluk. The CA sites 17 and 18, which are next to the petitioner's site, were designated for a park. The CA sites were relinquished in favour of BDA as per the requirement in 1991.
In 1996, the petitioner's father moved high court seeking for direction to BDA to prevent the misuse of these two CA sites. The court had disposed of the same asking BDA to stick to the development plan. Later, he had filed a contempt petition against BDA and it was dropped on account of a filing of an affidavit that the site in question would be developed and protected as a park.