Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has directed civic authorities to identify and issue notices to buildings constructed in an unscientific manner or deemed structurally weak. He stressed that securing such buildings must be the first priority to prevent future tragedies.

DCM Shivakumar visited Nagarthpet near Dharmaraya Swamy Temple on Sunday, where a recent fire accident had caused severe damage. Later, addressing the media at the incident site and at his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “In places meant for two or three floors, buildings with up to eight floors have been constructed. Many of these are unfit for living. A survey will first be conducted before deciding on demolition. This is not a one-day task; it may take years. Similar problems exist in Delhi and Mumbai as well. When I went inside, I was shocked. In such congested areas, if a fire breaks out, people run in panic, leading to stampedes and deaths.”

The DCM confirmed that criminal cases have been filed against negligent building owners, with the owner of the accident-hit building already under arrest. “Police have been given full authority to take legal action. Families of the deceased will receive compensation of ₹5 lakh each,” he announced.

While clarifying that weak buildings will not be demolished immediately, Shivakumar warned that owners must undertake urgent repairs or face government action. “Weak structures collapsing could create bigger disasters. No permission will be granted in the future for such unscientific construction,” he said.

Speaking on the scale of illegal construction in Bengaluru, he revealed that nearly 70 percent of buildings in the city are unauthorised. “In new BDA layouts, buildings are going far beyond permissible limits. The Supreme Court has directed that water and electricity connections must not be provided without an occupancy certificate. As a result, four lakh connections have been blocked. For 30x40 sites with two floors, a proposal for exemption will be placed before the Cabinet. Let us see what my colleagues decide,” he explained.

He also noted that areas like Chickpet and Nagarthpet, though officially residential, have transformed into commercial hubs. “According to fire safety regulations, all such buildings would technically have to be demolished. But this is the reality of people’s poverty-stricken lives. Most victims here were migrants from Rajasthan who had come to Bengaluru to earn a livelihood,” Shivakumar said. Citing recent tragedies, including a cylinder blast and Sunday’s fire accident that claimed five lives, he blamed unsafe rental constructions as the root cause. “People are building these structures only for rent. This is not right,” he remarked.

On BJP leaders’ ongoing Dharmasthala visit, Shivakumar dismissed it as political. “This is not a pilgrimage of faith, but a political journey. Dharmasthala is public property, not the private estate of the BJP,” he stated.