Rooftop pub shutdown by residents

Residents prevent the opening of the booze joint, Botellon

By Qamar ZJ

Last month, Botellon, a rooftop pub atop a building that has violated every building bylaw on 17th Cross-15th Main in Sector 4, was ordered to shutdown before it could open its doors. And the credit goes to the active residents of HSR Layout. They complained to MLA Satish Reddy, BBMP Joint Commissioner Veerabhadraswamy and DGP Fire Services MN Reddi. Not to mention, the Excise and Town Planning departments. Finally, the health department of BBMP ordered its shutdown and so did the fire services department — it ordered the disconnection of electricity.

“The building is not fully shut,” says Vijayalakshmi, President, Sector 4 Residents Welfare Association. “But we are 100% sure that the pub will not come up.”
The residents protested to the higher-ups the moment they got wind of their intentions to start a pub. “They were still doing the interiors when we decided to take legal action before they started their operations. It’s a high-rise building in a residential area that has not left any setbacks, among other violations.”

HSR Federation Chairman BNR Reddy pitched in too. “I spoke to Mr MN Reddi and asked the residents to take a formal letter to complain against the building itself for bylaw violations,” he said.

Just across the road on 17th Cross is The Moghul’s, a restaurant that had encroached on the footpath. After complaints from this magazine and the residents, the encroachment was demolished and the hotel has also shutdown to make way for The Egg Factory (see pic above). “But now the management has changed and they have again encroached the footpath with a proper tiled roof and indoor seating,” says Vijayalakshmi. “But we will not allow it.”

One down, one more to go.