Kolar: Kolar city municipal council (CMC) has decided to take action against the landowners who fail to maintain vacant sites, following the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) initiative to clean up neglected properties.At a CMC general meeting Sunday, deputy commissioner MR Ravikumar said overgrown vegetation and accumulated waste in vacant sites had resulted in an increase in the population of snakes, mosquitoes and other pests, causing inconvenience to residents living nearby.He said the CMC would first direct the owners to clean and maintain their properties. If they failed to comply, the civic body would undertake the cleaning work and recover the cost from the owners. A penalty of Rs 2,000-3,000 would also be imposed, he said.The decision came after minister Krishna Byre Gowda directed GBA authorities to take action against the owners of neglected vacant sites in Bengaluru.Meanwhile, Kolar MLA Kottur G Manjunath raised concerns over contractors taking up development works without informing elected representatives. He alleged that works worth around Rs 1.4 crore had been approved in the city without his knowledge and that some projects were being taken up without informing elected representatives.Responding to the MLA, Ravikumar directed officials to take elected representatives into confidence before commencing development works. He also warned that criminal proceedings would be initiated against the contractors who violated the protocol.Manjunath sought greater transparency in civic works and directed officials to provide elected representatives with details of project estimates and progress, including works related to underground drainage.
