<p>Bengaluru’s once cherished green expanses had meekly surrendered to the dictates of unregulated growth. But huge swathes of defence land famously bucked that trend before pressure from civic agencies, in dire need of land to widen roads, forced the Ministry to oblige. The land demands continue to rise, challenging the sensitive civil-defence relations.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Land-swapping. That has been the norm so far to get the military part with land in the core city areas in exchange for plots of the same value on the outskirts or beyond. Negotiations have been tough through channels that involve state government, BBMP officials and the army top brass from the Karnataka & Kerala sub-area command. <br /><br />Tricky issues <br />Tricky issues have remained despite progress made in recent months. Struggling to check the rising vehicular traffic and consequent demand on roads, BBMP has found it extremely tough to widen roads. But the army’s contention is this: Land allotted in exchange for prime plots within the city should not be in remote locations. Defence establishments too need land in core areas to set up training academies, labs and more.<br /><br />In its latest deal struck with the military in August, the state government cleared the decks for one of these projects, a Rail Overbridge (ROB) in Baiyappanahalli. To acquire 9,991 sq mtrs of Madras Engineer Group (MEG) land, BBMP had to release its Kensington Park land near Halasuru lake.<br /><br />But there is a much bigger demand pending from the Palike. As BBMP Chief Engineer K T Nagaraj informs, 63 acres of land within the city is urgently needed to kickstart 22 pending road infrastructure projects. <br /><br />The government, say the Palike insiders, has offered the army 207 acres of land in survey number 23 of Thimmanayakanahalli in Anekal. Another 200 acres of government land adjacent to survey number 23 is also part of the proposed deal. <br /><br />However, there is a glitch. The guidance value of 63 acres of defence land within the city is worth Rs 1,500 crore while each acre in Thimmanayakanahalli is valued at only Rs 25 lakh. <br /><br />Land of equal value<br />The Army had been promised land of equal value in the past. But it did not materialise, recalls Major General K S Venugopal, who had served as General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala sub-area. “Besides, we are already short of land.<br /><br /> We need space to establish defence-related training institutions that, in turn, can generate jobs locally. Our IT and communications-related activities too require land,” he points out. <br /><br />The government, says the Major General, has also been slow in clearing encroachments of defence land in the city. “The Army is only the holder and not owner of the land. Approvals have to come from the Ministry of Defence. It knows that land is required for bridges, road-widening and other projects and army personnel too make use of the roads. But there should be a reciprocal arrangement.”<br /><br />So, if high-value land-swaps are getting increasingly difficult, what is the solution? A senior Palike officer explains: “The high cost of the defence land warrants taking up the road widening projects in a phased manner. The government too has agreed to offer its land elsewhere in the state.” It is learnt that the military has taken a huge area on lease in Sakleshpur and Belagavi, which could be exchanged for defence land in Bengaluru.<br /><br />Circular on land rental<br />There could be another way out: A new circular issued by the defence establishment allowing their land to be rented out at Re one per square foot. <br /><br />Although, as BBMP Engineer-in-Chief, M R Venkatesh informs, the order may not help the Baiyappanahalli ROB land, since all formalities have been completed, it could benefit another project: Extension of the Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Banaswadi near Maruthi Seva Nagar. <br /><br />The 960 sq metres of defence land near Mukunda Theatre required to complete the ROB project could now be rented out, bypassing the costly land purchase. The Palike had earlier prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and was about to forward it to the defence ministry and the defence estate officer in Bengaluru when the circular came. In all likelihood, the Palike will prefer the rental route. <br /><br />Another key project that requires a part of defence land is the widening and upgradation of the Subrato Mukherjee Road, from Gangamma Circle to Jalahalli Circle. <br />The project, launched during 2008-09, requires 60,700 sq metres of land. <br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>Bengaluru’s once cherished green expanses had meekly surrendered to the dictates of unregulated growth. But huge swathes of defence land famously bucked that trend before pressure from civic agencies, in dire need of land to widen roads, forced the Ministry to oblige. The land demands continue to rise, challenging the sensitive civil-defence relations.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Land-swapping. That has been the norm so far to get the military part with land in the core city areas in exchange for plots of the same value on the outskirts or beyond. Negotiations have been tough through channels that involve state government, BBMP officials and the army top brass from the Karnataka & Kerala sub-area command. <br /><br />Tricky issues <br />Tricky issues have remained despite progress made in recent months. Struggling to check the rising vehicular traffic and consequent demand on roads, BBMP has found it extremely tough to widen roads. But the army’s contention is this: Land allotted in exchange for prime plots within the city should not be in remote locations. Defence establishments too need land in core areas to set up training academies, labs and more.<br /><br />In its latest deal struck with the military in August, the state government cleared the decks for one of these projects, a Rail Overbridge (ROB) in Baiyappanahalli. To acquire 9,991 sq mtrs of Madras Engineer Group (MEG) land, BBMP had to release its Kensington Park land near Halasuru lake.<br /><br />But there is a much bigger demand pending from the Palike. As BBMP Chief Engineer K T Nagaraj informs, 63 acres of land within the city is urgently needed to kickstart 22 pending road infrastructure projects. <br /><br />The government, say the Palike insiders, has offered the army 207 acres of land in survey number 23 of Thimmanayakanahalli in Anekal. Another 200 acres of government land adjacent to survey number 23 is also part of the proposed deal. <br /><br />However, there is a glitch. The guidance value of 63 acres of defence land within the city is worth Rs 1,500 crore while each acre in Thimmanayakanahalli is valued at only Rs 25 lakh. <br /><br />Land of equal value<br />The Army had been promised land of equal value in the past. But it did not materialise, recalls Major General K S Venugopal, who had served as General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala sub-area. “Besides, we are already short of land.<br /><br /> We need space to establish defence-related training institutions that, in turn, can generate jobs locally. Our IT and communications-related activities too require land,” he points out. <br /><br />The government, says the Major General, has also been slow in clearing encroachments of defence land in the city. “The Army is only the holder and not owner of the land. Approvals have to come from the Ministry of Defence. It knows that land is required for bridges, road-widening and other projects and army personnel too make use of the roads. But there should be a reciprocal arrangement.”<br /><br />So, if high-value land-swaps are getting increasingly difficult, what is the solution? A senior Palike officer explains: “The high cost of the defence land warrants taking up the road widening projects in a phased manner. The government too has agreed to offer its land elsewhere in the state.” It is learnt that the military has taken a huge area on lease in Sakleshpur and Belagavi, which could be exchanged for defence land in Bengaluru.<br /><br />Circular on land rental<br />There could be another way out: A new circular issued by the defence establishment allowing their land to be rented out at Re one per square foot. <br /><br />Although, as BBMP Engineer-in-Chief, M R Venkatesh informs, the order may not help the Baiyappanahalli ROB land, since all formalities have been completed, it could benefit another project: Extension of the Railway Overbridge (ROB) at Banaswadi near Maruthi Seva Nagar. <br /><br />The 960 sq metres of defence land near Mukunda Theatre required to complete the ROB project could now be rented out, bypassing the costly land purchase. The Palike had earlier prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and was about to forward it to the defence ministry and the defence estate officer in Bengaluru when the circular came. In all likelihood, the Palike will prefer the rental route. <br /><br />Another key project that requires a part of defence land is the widening and upgradation of the Subrato Mukherjee Road, from Gangamma Circle to Jalahalli Circle. <br />The project, launched during 2008-09, requires 60,700 sq metres of land. <br /><br /><br /></p>
