BDA pulls down illegal structures

BDA pulls down illegal structures
Deccan Herald

The Bangalore Development Authority, in a joint operation with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Police Department, on Saturday, demolished illegal structures in the Sita Circle area, in Girinagar, Banashankari III stage...

The Bangalore Development Authority, in a joint operation with the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Police Department, on Saturday, demolished illegal structures in the Sita Circle area, in Girinagar, Banashankari III stage. According to BDA officials, 36 acres of land, worth about Rs 180 crore, were recovered after the demolition.

Encroachments on Sy Nos 101, 103/1, 103/2, 104/1,104/2, 105 and 106 of Hosakerahalli village and Sy Nos 16 to 19 of Gerehalli village were cleared. The BDA is currently involved in fencing the recovered property. “Nearly 300 AC sheet sheds on the property were demolished and cleared. Barring buildings involved in court directives, all the encroachments were cleared,” a BDA official said.

Tension prevailed in the area for more than an hour and a half, even as BDA officials monitored the demolition of compound walls and fences. Residents and investors in the plots protested, stating that the BDA was bringing down structures despite stay orders. Though the demolition started at 8 am, it was stalled till 10.30 am after residents obstructed the work. The officials had put 28 earth- movers on the job. As many as 300 plots of land were cleared in two hours, under tight police security.


Even as the land holders and BDA officials argued over the demolition, senior officials tried to broker peace. The residents, many of whom broke down upon seeing their property being demolished, were heard remarking why houses belonging to the Vishwa Bharati Housing Co-operative Society office-bearers were being spared.

According to BDA sources, the A T Ramaswamy Committee had inspected the area last week and taken note of the encroachments on the BDA and BMP properties.

RESIDENT RAGE

I had brought the site from the Vishwa Bharati Housing Co-operative Society with my life savings. I have nothing left now. I had invested heavily on the house and had even taken loans.

Suresh

I showed all documents to the officials, but the earth-movers were demolishing the compound wall and columns right in front of my eyes.

Guruvayya Naidu

I had got permission from court to construct a house. I had invested all my money after retirement into buying this land and the construction had started too. I was looking forward to stay in my own house, that has been demolished now.

Narayanappa

Was the Bangalore Deveopment Authority sleeping when houses were being constructed? The BMP has given khatas and even collected land tax till 2007. Street lights have also been provided.

Ravi Subramanya

DEMOLITION LEADS TO

* 36-acre property worth Rs 180 crore recovered

* Encroachments in Hosakerahalli, Gerehalli villages cleared

* Residents allege demolition despite stay orders

* More than 200 personnel pushed to serve in demolition

The STORY SO FAR

The Vishwa Bharati Housing Co-operative Society and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had been engaged in a legal battle for 25 years, before the latter resorted to legal provisions and got on with their act. According to the BDA, it owns 79 acres of land in the area, where nearly 750 complete houses have come up.

The BDA had got the land notified in 1974, after purchasing it from an agricultural landlord. However, in 1979, he sold the same land to the Vishwa Bharati Housing Society, which got the khatas transferred.

After learning about the BDA notification, society office-bearers put pressure on the BDA board and got the land allotment approved in 1981. However, this was quashed by the subsequent board, saying that the erstwhile BDA board had no right to allot land. It was also noted that bulk allotments to housing societies could not be made by the BDA.

The High Court, in September this year, had ordered an eight-week interim stay and directed BDA officials to refrain from interfering in construction activities. However, with the period of the interim order coming to an end on November 3, BDA officials swung into action and cleared the plots.