WAITING TO BOOM

ANJANAPURA TOWNSHIP
WAITING TO BOOM
Deccan Herald

Five years after land was acquired for its formation, development looks like an interrupted idea in Bangalore Development Authority’s Anjanapura Township.


Five years after land was acquired for its formation, development looks like an interrupted idea in Bangalore Development Authority’s Anjanapura Township. Though most of the sites have been allotted, construction activity is sparse. As the site owners wait till all amenities are provided within the layout before kicking off construction, BDA seems to be sitting back to watch as well.

“Water supply has not been provided yet. People won’t start construction before that,” says Ashok, a real estate broker from the area. The layout has a BDA ward office and BWSSB office, both closed. Electricity is in place, say Sreenivas and Mallappa, employees in the BDA Streetlight Maintenance Office. Streetlight poles have been erected across the layout, though some don’t have the tubes on them.

According to a BDA official, facilities including water pipelines and electricity have been provided and the metalling work for 80-feet and 60-feet roads is under progress. When Deccan Herald visited the layout, construction activity was by and large confined to a seven-acre site in the II Block, close to the fringes of the layout. “We are building a school and have to depend on water from a nearby drain for the construction,” says O Rajanna, who owns the site.

Rajanna is also planning a Buddhist convention centre on the site. He, however, is not excited about the possibilities of infrastructure development in the layout. “How will people start constructing houses if they are not sure whether the layout will have good roads and other amenities?” he asks.

Good key road

The newly-laid 80-feet road, that runs through major parts of the layout, signals the layout’s development in its initial phase. Roads are also being metalled in a few pockets in the layout. However, site owners are sceptical about the roads’ longevity considering that a large number of trucks and lorries towards J P Nagar IX Phase take the new road through the layout.

Till date...

*In 2001, 153.98 hectares of land

acquired by BDA

*During March 2001, 5000 sites allotted

*During April 2002, 5000 sites allotted

*7340 sites of various dimensions allotted

in Anjanapura Extension

*BDA’s present allotment rate is Rs 189 per sq ft

*Allottees sell sites at rates between Rs 1100 and Rs 1400 per sq ft

Price wise

Blocks no 9, 10 and 11 in Anjanapura Extension are high on the investors’ list, thanks to better elevation and proximity to the under-construction Peripheral Ring Road. Sites in these blocks are being negotiated at as high as Rs 1500 per sq ft. The current rate for sites in other blocks (Rs 1250-1350 per sq ft) is expected to be up by around Rs 500 once full-fledged construction activities commence in the layout.

While NRI allottees - egged on by brokers - look at fancy prices, there are not many takers. According to realty brokers, the price appreciation will be tremendous once houses start coming up and instill confidence among the investors. That looks a long way ahead, considering that only a few constructions - on Blocks IX and XI - are on at present.

Meanwhile, investors are also waiting for the registration of revenue sites to be back on track, before putting money on the revenue sites around the layout.

The township’s connectivity with key areas in the City is another aspect that could decide on the price appreciation. From the Kanakapura Road direction, the roads leading to the layout, through Konankunte, Amruth Nagar Main Road and Avalahalli leave a lot to be desired. More reason for sellers, and investors, to believe that the waiting game pays better.



Roads in the layout which were laid two months ago, are damaged. I’m going ahead with the construction only because I had already decided on plans for building a school here.