BDA to start Arkavathy work on Monday

BDA to start Arkavathy work on Monday

The Hindu

Letters inviting the 20,000 short-listed applicants to once again pay the deposit are being sent out

# Judgment a boon to the public, says BDA Commissioner
# There will be no change in the number of sites
# Principle of judgment to be used in acquiring land for further projects


BANGALORE: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will start work on Arkavathy Layout from Monday. Letters inviting the 20,000 short-listed applicants to once again pay the deposit are being sent out immediately, said BDA Commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar. The BDA will complete allotment in six months, he said.

Reacting to Friday's decision of the High Court giving the BDA the green signal to go on with work on Arkavathy Layout, he said, "We welcome the judgment. It is a boon to the public, and we are happy that we can live up to our promise of providing sites."

Mr. Vidyashankar categorically stated that there would be no reduction in the number of sites although the High Court struck down the acquisition of 55 acres of the total of 2,750 acres required for the layout. "There will be no change in the number of sites. Not one person who has been listed will lose out," he said.

In all there will be 25,900 sites, including 5,900 revenue sites and corner sites. The Commissioner added that because of the shortfall of 55 acres, the BDA will either acquire more land or forgo the corner sites or land for shopping complexes to ensure that there are 20,000 sites. "If there is any reduction it will be in this. We are not going to hurt any individual," he said.

The BDA has already acquired 1,128 acres from private individuals and 450 acres of government land. It has to take possession of 220 acres. "We have already issued final notification for the land, we just need to take possession of it," he said. Of the land notified for acquisition, 748 acres is under litigation.

Mr. Vidyashankar said the BDA will immediately despatch letters asking the short-listed 20,000 applicants to pay the deposit in any one of the 33 previously notified branches of Canara Bank.

"We returned the deposit within nine days of the single judge's order of the High Court. So sending out letters will not take us any time."

The Commissioner said the judgment has removed any question mark over the BDA's authority to acquire land.

The principle of the Division Bench judgment will be used in acquiring land for further projects, including the Hi-tech City and the proposed layout with 50,000 residential sites. "Hundred and two petitions have been filed against us in the Hi-tech City project and we will be apply this judgment in those cases," he said.

Police protection

Mr. Vidyashankar said the BDA would shortly examine the extent of damage to land and the construction material stored there. Some of the material, including granite stones and tools, were looted immediately after the single judge's order and before police protection was made available to the area.

"There has not been any single case of encroachment of land in the past few months," he said. Following Friday's judgment, police protection to the area has been doubled, he added.