Delay in BMR plan, developers fume

Delay in BMR plan, developers fume
Deccan Herald

With the State government sitting on the proposed Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) master plan for over three months, land and township developers who have invested in the region are bracing for agitation against the apathy...

With the State government sitting on the proposed Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) master plan for over three months, land and township developers who have invested in the region are bracing for agitation against the apathy.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) had submitted the master plan for the government’s perusal in November last year. The clearance was expected to come latest by January 1, 2007.

Three months later, the developers are clueless on the future of their investments. With the master plan pending, land conversions and plan approvals have been practically banned, according to the developers. The BMR constitutes around 8,000 sq km spread over Bangalore Urban and Rural districts and is covered under five Area Planning Zones (APZs).

“Investments of around Rs 10,000 crore have been blocked due to the delay. There are about 150 layouts that are coming up in BMR. We have to sustain the employees, suppliers and consultants,” Roy C J, General Secretary, Karnataka Township Developers Association (KTDA), told Deccan Herald. The developers also alleged that due to the delay, they were losing out on Income Tax relief.

On Thursday, a delegation of land and township developers called on Metropolitan Commissioner Sudhir Krishna to apprise him of their concerns. Mr Krishna assured the developers that there was no blanket ban on conversions and plan approvals and said that the BMRDA would look at each plan individually. “The BMRDA had advised the government to facilitate a period under which people can file objections to the master plan, after it is made public. We are hopeful that the government clears it soon,” Mr Krishna said.

“Private developers could have managed to make digital maps based on information from the unpublished master plan, but that is not a real concern because we were going to make the plan public anyway,” he added.

Mass protest

Members of KTDA and Karnataka Land Developers Association will on Friday stage a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road at 10 am and later assemble at the BMRDA office to submit a memorandum. “A lot of work has gone into the master plan. But what is the point if it is left in cold storage,” asked Mr Roy.