Spurt in conversion of agricultural land for housing around Bangalore

Spurt in conversion of agricultural land for housing around Bangalore

The Hindu

According to records more than 6,000 acres have been converted in just over a year

# 6,295.26 acres of farm land in the five taluks of Bangalore Urban have been converted since April 2004.
# A majority of the converted land has been used for formation of layouts and construction of houses
# Revenue has dipped this year by Rs. 600 crores because of ban on registration of property

BANGALORE: Even as there is a hue and cry over the draft master plan of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to reduce the green belt in the comprehensive development plan (CDP) by 2015 from 742 sq km to 221 sq km, several taluks surrounding Bangalore city have reported increased conversion of agricultural land to housing and industrial purposes. That is apart from the encroachments that have already come up in the green belt.

Revenue

The conversion of land and registration of properties has been a source of revenue to the Government and in 2004-05 alone the State earned Rs. 1,916.18 crores.

The revenue has dipped this year by Rs. 600 crores following a ban since April 24, 2005 on registration of properties. The State had banned registrations to check the encroachment of properties by the land mafia and formation of private layouts without providing basic amenities.

The ban, however, does not seem to have had any effect on the hunger for land. With the land prices in Bangalore skyrocketing, investors and companies are moving away from the city to the suburbs and nearby areas, fuelling a boom in those areas also.

The increasing demand for housing and land industrial purposes has led to a steady conversion of prime lands around Bangalore. The statistics available with the Government indicate that in just over a year, more than 6,000 acres have been converted from agricultural to industrial and housing purposes.

The demand for land has had a debilitating effect and there has been a steady loss of agricultural land over the last few years.

According to the records available with the Government, 6,295.26 acres of agricultural lands in the five taluks of Bangalore Urban district comprising Anekal, Bangalore North, Bangalore North Additional, Bangalore South and Bangalore East, have been converted since April 2004.

Layouts

A majority of the converted land has been used for formation of layouts and construction of houses. In Anekal taluk, 2,174.33 acres of agricultural land have been converted followed by Bangalore North Additional 1,382.28 acres, Bangalore South 1080.21 acres, Bangalore East 909.5 acres and Bangalore North 748.19 acres.

In all, 153.36 acres of land was converted for industrial purposes in the three taluks — Anekal (49.14 acres), Bangalore North (6.07 acres) and Bangalore East (98.15 acres). Highly placed sources in the Government told The Hindu that 11,126.27 acres of agricultural land has been converted for housing and 600.17 acres for other purposes during the last three years in the Bangalore Urban district alone. On an average, 1,041 properties are being registered in the sub-registries in the city.

Meeting

Speaking to The Hindu, Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash admitted to public outcry against the ban of registration of properties in the city. He said the Cabinet subcommittee, headed by him, would soon call a meeting to decide on the issue.

The Government has so far received lakhs of applications for regularisation of unauthorised cultivation of lands during the last few years. It has cleared 3,73,534 applications and regularised 607216.1 acres in the State.

It has rejected 6,89,014 applications seeking regularisation of 1619607.07 acres under Section 94, Form No. 50, as on December 31, 2004.