`Abolish BDA, stop formation of sites'

"He accused the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and the former Commissioner of the BDA Jayakar Jerome of having changed the rules framed during the tenure of the former BDA Chairman K.K. Murthy (1981-82), by relaxing the 10-year ban on selling such sites."

It is disconcerting to learn that one can sell a BDA alloted site almost immediately after allotment. I used to think that the 10-year lock-in still remained. All those ugly gargantuan apartments sprouting across HSR Layout now make a lot of sense. Why should a government agency acquire land, drive out its inhabitants, form a layout and sell sites at highly subsidized rates so that the allotees can in turn sell it at the market rate (usually 70-80% higher than BDA rates) to unscrupulous builders? If the intention is to create affordable housing for locals and long-time residents of the city then such sale should be barred for an extended period of time. When transparency still remains a distant thought in these allotments, any one can grease the right palms, obtain sites at rock bottom rates and then make a quick fortune by selling those sites on allotment. This has all the makings of a scam. Moreover, this policy is turning residential layouts in to nightmares with all kinds of commercial establishments and offices emerging in their midsts.


`Abolish BDA, stop formation of sites'
The Hindu

BANGALORE, JAN. 6. The former Minister and MP H.N. Nanje Gowda today demanded abolition of the Bangalore Development Authority and a halt to site formation to stem the further development and expansion of the city.

He also demanded an inquiry into the formation of layouts by the BDA, the lands acquired, the number of sites allotted, the beneficiaries and how many of them are Kannadigas, and in how many cases the sites have been sold immediately after allotment.

Speaking to presspersons, he charged the BDA with acquiring thousands of acres of land from poor farmers for a song and selling sites to non-Kannadigas, who in turn have been allowed by the State Government to reap fortunes by selling them. He accused the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and the former Commissioner of the BDA Jayakar Jerome of having changed the rules framed during the tenure of the former BDA Chairman K.K. Murthy (1981-82), by relaxing the 10-year ban on selling such sites. That had prevented non-locals from acquiring land and helped Kannadigas to get sites for building houses. That was given a go-by when the BDA started issuing absolute sale deeds immediately after the full payment was made for the sites, he said.

Taking objection to the demand made by the Chairman and Mentor of Infosys Technologies, N.R. Narayana Murthy, for declaring Bangalore as a Union territory, Mr. Nanje Gowda said policies pursued by successive governments were responsible for the dwindling percentage of Kannadigas in the population of the city to 28 per cent. Criticising him for appointing people from other States in his organisation, he demanded an inquiry into the number of jobs Mr. Narayana Murthy has given to Kannadigas. The inquiry should also cover the charge of acquisition of prime land by information technology companies in the city and other parts of the State.

The former Minister said farmers from Mandya and other parts of the Cauvery Basin districts have thought of breaking the pipes supplying water to the city, questioning the need to supply 30 tmcft of water to benefit 78 per cent of the people in Bangalore.

`Focus on other cities'

There is a need to remove the "unnecessary and uncalled for" attention given to Bangalore and instead concentrate on other cities and towns where Kannadigas are in large numbers, he said and warned that the Bangalore of Kempe Gowda will not remain with Kannadigas. The people of the State will be forced to launch an agitation against the policies of the government, he added.