Playing it safe

Playing it safe
With traders of Avenue Road opposing the transfer of development rights (TDR) scheme, the BBMP takes up widening work on roads with more government establishments. R Krishnakumar takes stock of the situation

Bangalore: Three years after clearing the transfer of development rights (TDR) scheme, the state government is far from taking the public into confidence. In the teeming business pockets of Avenue Road, the red marks on properties identified for acquisition under the BBMP’s road-widening project have already been painted yellow. The traders’ mark of defiance also reflects their stance on TDR, the model on which the BBMP kicked off its project to widen 45 city roads.
As opposition is raised over the project, the BBMP is playing it safe in the first phase, focussing on roads with more government establishments. Of the 45 roads, the palike has already taken up widening of 10 roads — including Bellary Road, Race Course Road, Palace Road, Seshadri Road and Hosur Road — which have a greater share of government properties, in a move to dodge public opposition.
“The widening drive has just begun. It will take time for people to realize the benefits of TDR. We thought the best way to start was by identifying roads that involve minimal acquisition of private property,’’ Ramesh, superintendent engineer of the BBMP road widening cell, said.
Organizations and establishments, including St John’s Hospital, Little Sisters of the Poor, Baldwin school, ITC and Taj West End have surrendered properties under the scheme on different roads. Even as urban planners and real estate professionals see potential in the model, the traders on Avenue Road have a different take.
“An offer under the TDR scheme has been made. But is this road-widening necessary, sacrificing the livelihoods of many and cutting through landmark buildings?’’ asked Subramanya, who runs one of the many book stores on the road.
Traders also contend that the area should be preserved in its present form. The road has properties that are set to lose up to eight metres for the project. Traffic on the road has increased substantially over the years but the traders are convinced that the solution is not in widening the road. Gangadhar, who runs a stationery store here, feels traffic management solutions and stricter measures to check encroachment of road space are the right alternatives. “These areas of the old city should be left untouched. They could be planned on the lines of the market areas in old Delhi,’’ he said.
According to A Balakrishna Hegde, president of the Karnataka chapter of the confederation of real estate developers associations of India (CREDAI), TDR fits the bill because it involves no monetary loss for the government.
TDR ROADS
The 45 (of a total 85) roads identified for the project, where TDR is admissible, include Jayamahal Road, Dickenson Road, Kasturba Road, K G Road and Infantry Road. In business pockets, including Infantry Road, there are properties that could lose about 6.5 metres. Properties owned by banks and government establishments, including the Halasuru telephone exchange, have also been identified.
TAKING TDR TO THE PEOPLE
The TDR record — till date, just over 20 properties have been brought under the TDR umbrella — makes the BBMP task look tougher. Is the lack of conviction among the public set to hijack TDR’s potential in Bangalore? S Subramanya, BBMP commissioner, says it’s not. “The road-widening plan has been cleared. So far, there has been some opposition because people are just about realizing the benefits of TDR,’’ the commissioner told The Times Of India.
Trade body representatives point out that an early dialogue involving the people with regard to the possibilities of TDR could have smoothened the process. D Muralidhar, president, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry, recalls that when the scheme was mooted many years ago, it came with “impractical’’ stipulations.
“Any proposal for the city’s development is welcome but it also has to be people-friendly, so that we can arrive at a win-win situation,’’ Muralidhar said.
HOW TDR WORKS
TDR makes available an additional built-up area as compensation for the surrendered property. This area could be used by the person who surrenders property or he could trade it to another person.
The state government amended the KTCP Act to empower local bodies to permit additional floor area ratio (FAR) for the land handed over for projects like road-widening, formation of new roads or development of parks, playgrounds and other civic amenities. The idea was to minimize time taken for acquisition of land in urban areas for such projects. The transfer of the rights is awarded to those who surrender the property, in the form of a development rights certificate (DRC), that can be used to transfer the rights to another person.
krishna.kumar4@timesgroup.com

TELLTALE MARKS: On Infantry Road (left) and Old Madras Road, near Trinity Circle, BBMP has indicated width for road-widening work. Similar markings on Avenue Road have been painted yellow by traders




Width for road-widening work indicated on Dickenson Road