Buildings on Arkavathy tract to stay

Buildings on Arkavathy tract to stay
Decision On 400 Acres To Be Taken After Site Allotment
The Times of India

Bangalore: Owners whose buildings fall within the proposed Arkavathy Layout tract can now breathe easy. The government has decided not to acquire those properties existing before the preliminary notification was issued in February 2003, unless the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) faces shortage of land.

Ever since the BDA issued this notification, building owners were caught in a fix, as speculation was rife that their properties would be acquired by the government.

Official sources in the BDA told The Times of India that as per satellite images, of the 2,750 acres notified for the layout, nearly 400 acres are cultivated agricultural lands which also have structures. This chunk needs to be dealt with separately after site allotment in January.

“We will not take a decision on these 400 acres until the allotment process is completed. It has agricultural lands and buildings that existed before and after the preliminary notification was issued,’’ officials said.

These buildings will not be disturbed unless there is a need to acquire the land. Nearly 200 khatedars have properties here, and the BDA is in the process of identifying legal and illegal buildings.

Illegal buildings are those that have come up after the notification was issued, and the BDA has decided to “mercilessly’’ remove them.
“We have obtained details about these buildings, they will be demolished any time. We have also instructed the owners to remove the structures on their own,’’ officials pointed out.

Once the layout is formed and sites numbered, the BDA will get an idea about how much land of these 400 acres has to be incorporated in the layout. “Then, we will will acquire the buildings and compensate the owners. Structures situated on the proposed road, park or CA sites will be acquired,’’ officials explained.

The BDA and government are reviewing the requisition by land owners to increase the compensation amount. Right now, the BDA has fixed compensation ranging between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 20 lakh per acre, based on the location.

THE BLUEPRINT

Arkavathy Layout will be spread over 2,750 acres of 16 villages.
Villages come under gram panchayat; government contemplating bringing them under BCC, BDA or CMC jurisdiction.
Bhoomi pooja performed; civil works in progress.
20,000 sites to be allotted by January 15, at Rs 195 per sqft.
Apart from compensation amount, if owner gives up land voluntarily, he will be offered some sops.
Layout will be developed at estimated cost of Rs 950 crore — includes laying water, UGD and power lines at Rs 2.5 lakh each per acre and Rs 1.85 lakh per acre for UGD connections.