Officers’ choice: Babus get preferred treatment from BDA

Officers’ choice: Babus get preferred treatment from BDA

Vijay Times

When residents of Bangalore are scrambling around for small pieces of land, the IAS and IPS lobby seem to be having the cake and eating it too.

The Bangalore Development Authority, which as a matter of policy does not allot fully developed land to any housing society, has rolled out the red carpet to the Metropolitan Housing Society (MHS) that boasts of top bureaucrats and police officers in its ranks.

Not once, not twice, but thrice. All prime properties, and all for a song.

The high-flying society was constituted in the late 1970s. It permits only IAS, IFS and IPS officers to become its members. But, while the 138 other housing societies in the Capital have had to buy land from the open market at high prices and then develop the land, the officers society has had the pleasure of being able to pick up ready-to-use prime land in Arkavathi, HAL-II stage and HSR layouts at dirtcheap rates.

BDA commissioner M Shankarlinge Gowda declined to answer why this special treatment had been given to the MHS alone. "I cannot answer that question of yours," he said. He, however, added that the Government now wanted to include another housing society for bulk allotments. This society is the Kanakashree Housing Society.

A senior IAS officer said it was the policy of the government to allot sites to the MHS since it comprises bureaucrats. He also said that it was necessary that such allotments are made since "bureaucrats need privacy".

During the formation of the Arkavathi layout, the officers demanded that 20 acres be given to their society only near the Jakkur aerodrome. Their wish was granted but the land owners played spoilsport. The issue was dragged to the courts. BDA was forced to put this on hold after the High Court had ordered that the authority consider the applications of the land owners before proceeding with the allotment. The land value here is Rs 3,000 per square foot.

Interestingly, as per the value quoted by the BDA, these sites were purchased at Rs 160 to 200 per square foot. Realtors state that at HSR layout, the land price is Rs 4,000 per square foot. That means a 50X80 site purchased at nearly Rs 8 lakh could well be worth---hold your breath —Rs 1.6 crore. Not bad for a civil servant.