Arbitrary In Land Acquisitions, Say Builders

BDA rules the roost here
Arbitrary In Land Acquisitions, Say Builders
The Times of India

Bangalore: It is not just environmentalists who are upset with the BDA. The city’s builders and developers have joined the bandwagon too.

Environmentalists have been spitting fire since the Authority announced its draft masterplan for the city and the proposed scaling down of the Green Belt. But the builders’ ire has been simmering for long. They allege that BDA is too arbitrary in its land acquisition process and that it often takes over land that builders have laid prior claim to. They cite the case of the Rs 490-crore Hi-Tech city project — slated to come up between Sarjapur Road and Hosur Road.

Though Hi-Tech City (which, along with the Arkavathy Layout project) is embroiled in a legal dispute now, BDA commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar denies these allegations. “Not a single BDA-approved layout has been acquired. How many of those who have complained have ‘legal’ projects,’’ he wanted to know.

To this, builders retort that government projects play havoc with private ones in the same area. Kristal Group joint managing director Roy C.J. said BDA has now notified two acres of land (for Hi-Tech City) that the group owns between Hosur Road and Sarjapur Road. Their project was not at the approval stage then. “It takes eightnine months for the entire process — from buying land (from private owners), getting it converted, drawing up plans and finally, getting BDA approval. When a government project is announced midway, we are left nowhere,’’ he maintained.

Another grouse is that though builders pay enormous sums for private land, BDA gives them a pittance when it acquires the same plots. Roy, whose group is a member of Karnataka Ownership Apartment Promoters’ Association (KOAPA), and his fellow KOAPA members want the government to buy and then allocate parcels of land to them as it does for info-tech companies.

“Else, if the government informs us in advance that it plans projects in a particular area, we can either speed up our approval process or avoid that area,’’ Roy said.

But former BDA Town Planning Member S.C. Kari Gowda, does not agree. “What they propose is basically that BDA must do the ‘land allocation’ work, that it dons the role of a middleman. Besides, private landowners will not appreciate such a move. They prefer dealing with developers/builders on their own so that they get the best possible price for their land,’’ he said.

Other experts added that so long as Bangalore remains in the grip of a real estate boom, such problems will continue.