Housing society allotted sites in non-existent layout: Report

Shanthinagar housing society land had no roads: Dist Registrar order

The Shanthinagar House Building Cooperative Society, which is facing a Lokayukta probe, has registered sites though no layout existed, according to a report.

An order passed by the Bangalore Urban District Registrar in 2011, which is among the documents the Lokayukta is looking into, states that sites were registered from 2004 to 2011 though there was no site on the ground or a developed layout.

There was not even an approach road to the so-called layout and the land was being used as a dumping ground, states the District Registrar’s order that has been accessed by Deccan Herald. The Lokayukta is investigating a complaint by the Anti Land Grabbing Action Committee about irregularities in the society's residential layout.

These include allotment of sites in favour of family members of politicians and allowing allotment of sites by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) even before the layout was formed. The complaint also stated that larger sites were allotted to families of leading realtor G Prasad Reddy and Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.

Land for the housing society is allotted at Amanikere and Jakkasandra villages in Begur hobli, off Sarjapur Road. The order was passed after the Bommanahalli sub-registrar impounded documents belonging to Prasad Reddy, who was accused of undervaluation.

Reddy had contested the 2008 Assembly elections on a BJP ticket from BTM Layout and had filed an affidavit stating he owned assets worth Rs 330-crore.

After Reddy had appealed against the Bommanahalli sub-registrar’s order on undervaluation,  the District Registrar on September 29, 2011 made a ground inspection of the “layout”. After inspection, the District Registrar’s order stated: “The land allotted for development of the layout is around 100 metres from ST Bed main road and is in bad shape. There is dense and extensive bush everywhere and the BBMP is using the area to dump waste. Since there are no roads, the spot inspection had to be done on foot. Though it was confirmed that the BDA has approved the layout plan, sites had to be identified on the basis of the plan and not on the ground. It may require two years to provide basic amenities on the land.”

Photographs of the proposed layout was attached with the report. However, despite taking all these factors into account, the District Registrar passed an order to register the site after collecting stamp duty and registration fee of Rs 9,265.