BDA considering revising price of sites

BDA considering revising price of sites

The Hindu

The new rates will be on par with those offered by KHB: Shankarlinge Gowda

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is considering revising the price of its sites, says its Commissioner M.K. Shankarlinge Gowda. "The new rates will probably be on par with those offered by the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB)," Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda told The Hindu.

The pricing issue is yet to be placed before the BDA board, which is to take a decision on it.

At present, the BDA charges Rs. 2,100 per square metre while the Karnataka Housing Board charges almost double the amount. The price per square feet of land for the BDA was set around five years ago when land prices in the city had not witnessed such a boom.

Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda says that the BDA has still not taken a decision on whether the price increase will be applied to all BDA sites, including the smaller sites measuring 20 x 30. However, he promised that the BDA would not increase the price per square metre in such a way that it would prevent lower middle class families from buying sites.

New layout

The new pricing will be implemented in the new layout that the BDA is planning. Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda says planning for the new layout is in the conceptual stage. "We have not yet decided on the size of the layout or its location," he adds. The new layout, Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda says, will be developed on a participatory mode with the landowner or the farmer who gives up the land to the BDA as a co-developer. According to the new acquisition policy of the BDA, farmers and landowners will get 10,000 square feet of land for every acre acquired by the BDA. For farmers, the new land acquisition is favourable as in one acre of land four sites each measuring 40 x 60 can be developed.

Arkavathy Layout

The BDA Commissioner says allotment letters for Arkavathy Layout will be issued in June. "Arkavathy Layout is a priority for us," he says.

Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda says the issue will be brought before the BDA board at the end of the month after all inspections are completed. Of the 2,750 acres of land notified for the layout, 748 acres of land is in dispute. There are 1,424 aggrieved landowners, the majority of whom are revenue site owners, seeking exclusion of their land from the acquisition process. They say that their land is either situated in the green belt, is totally built up, or comprises property constructed by charitable, educational or religious institutions, nursery lands or industries.