Palike keeps site owner waiting for TDR for 4 years

BBMP had promised document after acquiring his land

Despite knocking at the BBMP’s doors several times and Palike officers looking into his files related to Transferrable Development Rights (TDR) more than 100 times, Mohammed Yusuf is yet to receive compensation for the property he lost to road widening in Mahadevapura.

Yusuf, a resident of Frazer Town, had purchased a vacant plot at Mahadevapura in 1989 with his savings and loans from his friends. His efforts have, however, gone in vain with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike failing to compensate him for his acquired property.

On August 12, 2012 the Palike acquired his property for widening of the ECC Road at Mahadevapura, promising to issue him a TDR in 10 days. The BBMP, that promptly demolished some sheds along with parts of a concrete structure on his site the following day, seemed to have forgotten the promise it had made to Yusuf.

Yusuf said: “To know the status of my case, I applied for Right to Information (RTI) and learnt that my file has been moving around in circles among Palike officers. Further, I found out that Special Commissioner for the project J Ravishankar had moved the file to the BBMP Commissioner and a revenue officer for further approval. But the Commissioner and revenue officer returned it to Ravishankar. The same set of officers are looking at my file but at the end there is no result.”

“With the belief that project is for a good cause, I gave up my property. If the Palike does not want to issue the TDR, it must at least give back my land,” Yusuf added.

Yusuf says he had spent more than Rs 40 lakh to build a one-floor structure and sheds on his site in 2003-04. Yusuf’s plight was also discussed by Devarajeevanahalli councillor Sampath Raj in the recent council meeting. Raj told Deccan Herald: “I propose to widen Tannery Road that comes under my limits. But seeing the negligence in issuing the TDR, I fear no one would part with their property.”

Mayor Manjunatha Reddy blamed the BBMP officers’ negligence for the delay. He said he has directed all officers to speed up the issue of TDRs to the public. “Also, the government is bringing out amendments in the TDR scheme and hence, there is confusion in the Palike whether to issue it or not,”he said.

When contacted, Umanand Rai, Joint Commissioner, Mahadevapura, said Yusuf was free to approach him with his documents and after studying them, he would direct the officials concerned to take appropriate action.