Realtors conquer Arkavathy Layout

Realtors conquer Arkavathy Layout

The Hindu

BDA leaves, land developers step in

# 25 acres of land fenced near Jakkur
# Earthmoving equipment being used
# Roads, drains being destroyed

BANGALORE: Arkavathy Layout, the land acquisition for which has been quashed by the Karnataka High Court, is now a free-for-all territory.

Real-estate agents, land grabbers and people who want to repossess their land which was acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for the layout are having a field day in several pockets of the proposed layout. In at least three instances in and around the Jakkur area, nearly 25 acres of land has been fenced off by unscrupulous persons. Residents of private layouts in the vicinity told The Hindu that most of the land grabbing is taking place at night.

As if to add insult to injury to the BDA, some people have started using earthmoving equipment in their efforts to make their land their own. Roads and drains laid by the BDA are being destroyed to give an impression that the land was not part of the proposed layout.

No sign of officials

Neither the Bangalore city police nor BDA personnel have visited the area to protect the lands. The quashing of the acquisition of land for the layout implies that the BDA is no longer the landowner. The BDA had done a lot of work to acquire land for the formation of the layout, which was to encompass 2,450 acres, although the procedure adopted was questioned. The acquisition landed the BDA in over 1,300 litigations involving 748 acres.

Who then is the owner of the property? A legal expert said there could be no categorical reply to the question; legally, the land in question will automatically go to the original landowner whose name figures in the documents including khata. It will, however, be an extremely difficult exercise for the original landowner to take possession of his land since the area has been flattened with earthmoving equipment by the BDA.

Cabinet to decide

Sources in the Government told The Hindu that the State Cabinet will meet on Saturday to take stock of the developments. The BDA is likely to file an appeal before a Division Bench of the High Court. Reports have it that the legal wing of the BDA has prepared a draft of the appeal.

However, it will be a time-consuming exercise.