Library becomes an eatery at city’s revenue complex

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: This may sound bizarre. For more than six years, an illegal eatery functioned at a government building in Bengaluru that was originally meant to serve bibliophiles. And that too at the Revenue Complex (Kandaya Bhavan) that houses the offices of the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate in Bengaluru.

The revenue department appears to have realised the mistake and ordered the closure of the eatery recently. “All the commercial establishments inside the building have been closed,” informed Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner J Manjunath.

It was in 2014 that Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for the construction of a library building and drinking water facility on the Revenue Complex premises for the benefit of employees and people who visit revenue offices. The fund was allocated based on the request of the Revenue Employees’ Association.

After the construction, the association allegedly sublet the building to an eatery and a xerox shop to earn additional revenue for the organisation.

“The building meant for a library has been sublet for an eatery and xerox shop for the past six years,’’ said Sai Datta, a social activist who filed an RTI on the allocation of funds for the construction of the building.

Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner J Manjunath said a notice has been issued to people responsible for subletting the building. “We have stopped all commercial activities at the building,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, many people have demanded action against the officials for subletting a government building.

Mohan Kumar, a resident of Cottonpet, has demanded the revenue authorities to act tough against the people responsible for subletting the building for commercial activities. “It is a shame on the revenue employees involved in this scam. If this audacious act is any indication, one can imagine rampant corruption among the revenue employees,’’ he said.

Blaming the Revenue Employees’ Association for misusing the facility, Suresh Babu, a visitor to the DC Office, has urged the revenue authorities to take disciplinary action against those who sublet the library building. “I want the authorities to recover the rent collected from the tenants by the Revenue Employees’ Association and ensure the building is used as a library,’’ he said.