LIC Colony residents fight for lung space

LIC Colony residents fight for lung space
The Times of India

Bangalore: The residents of LIC Colony, Jeevan Bima Nagar, consider ‘Plot No. 2’ in HAL IIIrd Stage their only lung space, recreation ground and community watering hole.

But for the BDA, it’s a CA (Civic Amenity) site to be made into anything from a milk booth, post office or police station to a maternity home, a gymnasium or a bus depot. The residents are so determined to get their green space that for the past three Sundays they have held public protests on the disputed land. And, they’ve also put up a website www.lungspaceforlicc.in, complete with the history of the land and authorities’ response.

The battle isn’t a recent skirmish. Residents say it dates back to 1994 when in the city’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), Plot No. 2 became a CA site from its previous categorisation of ‘Public/Semi-Public.’

According to S.S. Ranganathan, secretary, LIC Colony Residents’ Forum, LIC originally bought the land, including the disputed plot, from BDA to develop the colony, which eventually grew into 530 houses. LIC retained some land and gave back some to BDA, for development as roads, parks, playgrounds and so on. One such parcel was Plot No. 2. It is adjacent to Plot No. 10, wh1ich LIC still owns and has fenced off. LIC actually wanted to set up a training centre on Plot No. 10, but residents went to court and won the case.

As for Plot No. 2, residents say, its situation has gone from bad to worse after the change in category. “We made many representations to BDA and LIC. Nothing happened,’’ says Ranganathan. In 1999, LIC Colony Residents’ Welfare Association went to court asking that the plot be saved as a green space, but lost. Ranganathan says that in 2004, BDA advertised and finally allotted the plot to a charitable organisation and a community trust.

Since then, residents have been holding protests. “We’ve tried to contact BDA officials, but they are being elusive,’’ he says.

However, BDA commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar told The Times of India some colony residents did meet him a while ago but he is firm that this is a CA site. “BDA has no intention of taking away public parks. After all, we approve layouts, only if 50% of the land is meant for residential use, 10% for CA sites, 15% for parks and 25% for roads,’’ he said, adding “if the residents want to meet me, they are free to walk in.’’