Will buildings on Arkavathy land go or stay?

Will buildings on Arkavathy land go or stay?
Policy Decision Soon On Ways To Deal With Structures In This Layout

Times of India


Bangalore: Though chief minister N. Dharam Singh has time and again reiterated that the proposed Arkavathy Layout project is on track and that sites would be allotted within the deadline, the fate of existing buildings in the notified areas still hangs in the balance.

The BDA, which will perform the bhoomi pooja for commencement of works in the layout within a week, is yet to take a decision on how to deal with buildings that have been existing before the Preliminary Notification (PN) was issued. However, it has been made clear since the beginning that any structures/buildings that have come up after the PN will be razed.

The preliminary notification was issued in February 2003 for acquiring 4,024 acres of land spread over 16 villages. However, the final notification was issued this year for acquisition of 2,750 acres.

Official sources in the government told The Times of India that a policy decision has to be taken on the issue. According to the rule, buildings that have come up before the preliminary notification was issued will be viewed ‘sympathetically’. “We are still discussing whether to retain the buildings that have been existing before the issuance of PN or to acquire them by compensating the owners. If the building is situated on a proposed road, park area, CA property, such structures will be acquired. We are yet to arrive at a concrete decision,’’ officials explained.