'No info on 127 illegal layouts in BDA limits'

Bengaluru Development Minister K J George has said that he has no information on formation of sites and their distribution in 127 illegal layouts which come under BDA limits.

He made this announcement in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, while replying to a question raised by K Gopalaiah (JD-S). He said 127 illegal residential layouts have been identified within the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) limits. A committee headed Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department has been constituted to prescribe guidelines to curb illegal layouts in and around Bengaluru.

He said no amenities would be provided in these layouts. George said a BDA sub-committee had issued notices to those living in illegal layouts to appear before the panel and present their clarification. The sub-committee had recommended demolition of structures in illegal layouts. However, Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had provided khata and plan sanction to houses in some layouts, George said.

Besides, the government scheme of Akrama Sakrama of regularisation of illegal constructions had been challenged in the Karnataka High Court by Citizens Forum and Mangalore Developers. The government will decide on its next course of action after the court verdict, he said.

To another question by H S Shivashankar (JD-S), George said steps are being taken to transfer BDA officials and engineers who had been holding the same posts for long. George said the total number of sanctioned posts in the BDA was  1,267 of which 783 were vacant.

To a query from S R Vishwanth (BJP), George said the BDA has already acquired land for the 65-km Peripheral Ring Road in Bengaluru. He said PRR would be 100 metres wide with a service road. Besides, 25 metres of the road would be converted into a commercial zone, which will be handed over to landowners, fetching them revenue.

To a question by Y A Nara­y­a­naswamy (BJP), George said it has come to his notice that residents in new layouts of Bengaluru who had installed multi-jet water meters were getting inflated water bills. The meters would be subjected to laboratory tests, he added.