Soaring on flyovers, stuck in layouts

CIVIC AGENDA–5 BANGALORE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Soaring on flyovers, stuck in layouts
Despite Commendable Feats, BDA Struggles To Recover From Arkavathy Issue
The Times of India

Bangalore: Nearly a decade ago, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) was on the verge of closure. A committee set up to study the sorry state of affairs in BDA had suggested liquidating the organisation. But the government wanted to give it a last try in 1999 and set a deadline of five years for things to stabilise.

In five years, BDA has done a turn-around; from a loss-making, defunct organisation, it has been transformed into a profit-making organisation and has created infrastructure worth several crores, be it roads, housing, administrative initiatives and citizen-friendly measures. BDA has been regarded as an effective stakeholder, though the recent Arkavathy layout controversy has caused a setback for the organisation.

Building dreams

Agenda drawn in 2000: Ring roads, flyovers, citizen-centric measures, allotment of sites, spatial map of Bangalore, recovery of properties and rejuvenation of lakes.

Reality :
City has seen the completion of 62 km of the Outer Ring Road at a cost of Rs 180 crore; five flyovers constructed in Hebbal, Varthur-White - field Road junction, Bennig anahalli-Hosur Road junction and Dairy Circle; allotment of more than 40,000 sites; opening of registration office on BDA premises, conducting regular sale deed samaveshas, revision of Comprehensive Development Plan, recovery of properties worth over Rs 800 crore and rejuvenation of Agara and Benniganahalli lakes. Cubbon Park and Lalbagh have been rejuvenated.

In the pipeline: Flyovers on Airport Road and near Jayadeva Hospital will be completed by mid-2005; work on 110 kms of Peripheral Ring Road and Rs 370 crore hi-tech corridor with IT-BT township will commence shortly.

HAUNTED HOUSE

The recent controversy surrounding the delay in allotment of sites in Arkavathy Layout was an embarrassment for BDA. The initial stalling of tenders had raised serious doubts about implementation of the project. However, government’s repeated assurance that 20,000 sites would be distributed by January 15 had instilled some hope, but the subsequent developments changed the scene. Now, not sure about when the sites would be allotted and when the deposit money would be returned to unlucky allottees, people are in a fix.

Though BDA has allotted more than 40,000 sites in Anjanapura, BSK and Sir MV layouts over the last five years, more than 180 sq kms of the layout areas are vacant without any development. People have not started construction as the layouts are not developed. The civil works such as roads, electrification, water supply and UGD lines are yet to be completed.

Come to the flyovers, the BDA is on a deadline-extension spree for its completion. While the three flyovers on Airport Road, Jayadeva hospital and Dairy Circle were scheduled to be completed by April 2004, only Dairy Circle flyover is ready. Now, the enhanced deadline is June 2005.