Arkavathy: sites nowhere in sight

Arkavathy: sites nowhere in sight
Where, When, How: BDA Doesn’t Have Correct Dimension Report Of Any Site In The Layout
Aarthi R | TNN

Bangalore: It has been five years and the wait is only getting more and more longer. A BDA site in Arkavathy Layout is still a distant dream for them.
“All the allottees will definitely get their BDA site, but where, when and how are questions that need to be answered. There are some unresolved issues about the project,” BDA commissioner Bharat Lal Meena told TOI.
Reason: they don’t have the correct dimension (CD) report of any site in the layout. In addition to this are pending procedures of notification and compensation to farmers.
PROJECT TO BE REWORKED
The Supreme Court in its judgment had asked the BDA to conduct a survey of sites in three villages — Venkateshpura, Kempapura and Nagawara — where denotification process was complete, and file a report to the high court in four months. However, with no proper CD report available for any of the sites in the proposed layout, BDA is now doing a resurvey of all 16 villages identified under this project.
“The survey is almost complete. The entire project will have to be reworked depending on this. There are some issues to take the earlier plan forward but we are working on solutions. It might be too early to comment further on this,” Meena said.
ALLOTEES SEE RED
The indefinite wait after the SC judgment has many site allottees frustrated.“The Supreme Court took three years for the ruling. Now, even 60 days after that, we are still waiting to know what next from the BDA,”says B Gyan Chand.
Post-judgment, he visited the BDA office more than five times. Only on his fifth visit, he was informed that it will take another six months to register the site as they don’t have CD report of the same.
“Why is the CD report not available with the officer? My block number is 5 and site number: 893. It comes under K Narayanpura. As per the SC judgment, this block has no problem at all. It doesn’t come under the three villages. There should be a quick way to get our sites registered,” he said.
6TH ATTEMPT FAILS
At 70, S Ramanathan is yet to get a site in his name. He was among the original 20,000 site allottees but lost all hope now. His Rs 30,000 was returned when the number of allotees was cut down to 8,800. “Who wants money? I had sold my only land in K R Puram to pay the advance. This was my sixth attempt for a BDA site,” he says.
The SC verdict has rekindled his hope now. But the wait thereafter is worrying for him. “I have been calling the BDA but they keep saying try after two-three months. I hope they’ll keep their promise,” he said.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project was envisaged for distribution of 20,000 sites developed in an area of 2,750 acres across 16 villages coming under Yelahanka and K R Puram hoblis of Bangalore North and East taluks. The BDA issued a final notification on March 22, 2004, on acquiring 2,750 acres.
In its note and resolution (dated October 10, 2002), the BDA stated that it required 3,000 acres of land. In the preliminary notification, it was enhanced to 3,339 acres. It was then further enhanced to 3,839 acres. However, in the final notification, 2,750 acres of land was notified claiming that 589 acres were denotified out of the 3,339 acres notified in the February 3, 2003 preliminary notification.