BDA to bulldoze ‘illegals’ in Arkavathy

BDA to bulldoze ‘illegals’ in Arkavathy

BDA identified three residential layouts in the notified area for Arkavathy as unauthorised layouts. Structures have come up in some of these areas.

Deccan Herald

Bangalore Development Authority will have to take up a massive bulldozing drive, if it has to meet the chief minister’s January 15, 2005 deadline to complete the first phase of the proposed Arkavathy layout which includes levelling of land, site numbering and drain work.

For, an estimated 3,000 “unauthorised” buildings, in an area of nearly 500 acres of notified land for the project, have come up ever since the Government issued the preliminary notification on February, 2003. The government issued the final notification to acquire 2,750 acres of land, covering 16 villages for the project on February, 2004.

But neither BDA nor the local bodies in the area (including Byatarayanapura and Mahadevputa CMCs and gram panchaysts) has been able to stop “unauthorised” construction activities, BDA sources said. Moreover, BDA is facing litigations —numbering over 700 —from land owners, who have stalled it from taking possession of their land. In other words, the layout formation work has not been taken up so far on the land, though BDA has a fortnight’s time to develop nearly 20,000 sites for allotment. Besides, additional 11,000 sites will have to be formed by BDA which will be sanctioned to those who are parting with their land for the project.

According to official sources, BDA has been able to take possession of only 1,060 acres of land to form the layout against a total of 2,750 acres, of which, nearly 690 acres is the government land. “Large amount of the remaining 1,060 acres of land is still under various stages of litigation, and BDA is yet to take possession of it, before developing it as the residential layout,” official sources told Deccan Herald.

Though all 22 packages of the layout formation work is on, BDA contractors are facing stiff resistance from local residents, especially farmers. In fact, the contractors had to face the wrath of the farmers in Geddalahalli and Amruthahalli, who recently set bulldozers on fire and manhandled the workers. As a result, BDA is now carrying out the project under police protection.

Such is resistance from the locals that new unauthorised constructions are cropping up almost every day.

Farmers are constructing temporary structures on their land using concrete blocks during night hours to stop BDA from completely acquiring their land.

“They (farmers) are under the impression that their land will be denotified by the BDA on sympathetic grounds,” officials said.

When contacted, BDA Commissioner M N Vidyashankar said that all unauthorised structures will be demolished for layout formation. “I know the task is huge as we have to clear unauthorised construction spreading over 500 acres. But we will not spare even a single unauthorised structure coming in the way of the project,” he added. The first phase of the project will be completed on time and sites will be allotted. “The stay is on the demolition of buildings, but not on forming the layout. Therefore, the work is on,” Mr Vidyashankar said.

BDA has identified three private residential layouts in the notified area for Arkavathy layout as unauthorised layouts. These are: Pillappa Enclave (21 acres), Balaji Developers (7 acres) and Oriental Developers (7 acres).

Structures have come up in some of these areas. BDA has initiated action to acquire all vacant plots in these layouts, while it is yet to decide on buildings that have already come up here, Mr Vidyashankar said.

However, BDA will not acquire layouts (13 layouts) that are approved by it.