Citizens against parting with land

Citizens against parting with land
New Scheme For Road Widening Draws Criticism
The Times of India

Bangalore: Even before the government and the BCC breathe life into Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), citizen groups with support from cor porators are lobbying to ensure it dies a premature death. Reason for civic angst? “Don’t take parts of our hard-earned land and leave us with space enough for a bathroom.”

Representatives of 92 households in and around Shankar Mutt, Kurubarahalli main road, met BCC commissioner K. Jothiramalingam on Monday, hours after the TDR was announced. The main issue they are up in arms against is that the road is not a commercial, arterial one and therefore there is no need for widening it. The road, per se, is a narrow one with houses packed on either side, is the argument citizens are putting forth.

The modus operandi so far ran thus: Mayor issued a note saying some roads had been identified for widening to decongest traffic. On March 3, the BCC issued a notification stating that sector 9 at Kurubarahalli pipeline road would be taken up for widening. That was when panic broke loose as many people had only a month ago got land and clearance to build houses, shops, I and II floors.

Explains Manickya Basu, an aggrieved resident: “There are so many senior citizens here who have constructed houses at the fag end of their lives. Our question is, with this TDR certificate why should someone legalise his illegal construction? Because, we are law-abiding citizens who have built this according to specifications, followed all byelaws.”

Yet another roadblock the BCC might run into is this unforeseen obstacle. As a resident explains, “There are properties on either side, on one side there are 30 x 40 ft site areas, and 60 x 40 ft on the other side. Now the government wants to acquire 20 feet from either side. From a 30 x 40 ft site if they take away 20 feet, one is left with 10 x 40 ft. Five feet out of this should go for compound effectively leaving you with 5 x 40 ft. What is left to construct?” Vertical match-boxes.

Yet another cause for discomfort is, who will pay for renovation?. The house would be left in a dishevelled, haphazard manner, rue citizens. One resident whose property comes under the jurisdiction of roads identified for widening says, “Two months ago I bought this property and started construction. Now midway through the construction I’m refused a khata.” But how does the BCC plan to address such resistance? Explains Jothiramalingam: “TDR is mutually beneficial. But if there are people who resist it and don’t want to surrender land under TDR, it will have to be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act and will be given ‘reasonable market rate’ as enumerated in the Act.”

And are the identified roads irrevocable? “We will examine it again and if found that the road can do without widening, the road will pass.”

•People are against govt taking their ‘hard-earned land’ through Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scheme
•Representatives of 92 households in and around Shankar Mutt, Kurbarahalli Main Road say roads in their area need not be widened.
•Another cause for discomfort: Who will pay for renovation?