BDA cold-shoulders Sakrama

BDA cold-shoulders Sakrama
DH News Service, Bangalore:
While the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has gone into overdrive to create awareness on Sakrama scheme among property owners, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has preferred to remain inactive over the scheme.


The BDA has neither taken up any publicity campaign on the scheme nor put in place a system to issue applications and receive them. However, owners of unauthorised sites and buildings of the area falling under BDA have only 18 days to file their applications (last date Dec 14), no matter whether they are informed about the scheme or not.

Thanks to the BDA’s indifference, the authority has received only three Sakrama applications from the public till Friday last.

The Karnataka Legislature passed legislation on the regularisation of unauthorised properties during the special session held at Belgaum in September 2006. The amended Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Regularisation of unauthorised Development or Constructions) Rules 2007 came into effect from February 3, 2007.

The government amended the existing law to facilitate regularisation of unauthorised sites and buildings across the State.

The BBMP has brought out a handbook along with applications for the benefit of applicants in the Palike limits. It has set up kiosks and help desks to help property owners to apply. Besides, it is using media, both print and electronic, and conducting public interaction programmes to popularise the scheme.

But the BDA has not taken up any such programmes within its jurisdictional limits. The authority has not even released a booklet on Sakrama.

Town Planning Member of BDA Rangesha said: “Larger area (over 820 sq km) of Bangalore City falls under the BBMP limits. The Palike will forward applications regarding land use violations and layout formation to the BDA.

However in the remaining over 200 sq kms of area there are only a few illegal constructions. Property owners in BDA limits can collect the applications from BBMP kiosks to apply for regularisation. We have not set up any kiosks for Sakrama. Applications are available at the BDA head office also.”

Asked why the authority has not taken up any publicity campaign on the scheme, the officer said Sakrama is a statewide programme. The authority is conducting the campaign in association with the Palike.

But Palike struck a different note. A Palike officer said: “We are not aware what BDA is doing. We are doing our best to popularise the scheme and help the public.”