Land sharks grab CA site, but BDA yet to wake up

Four months after registering a complaint against the encroachers of a civic amenity property in Devarachikkanahalli near BTM Layout, the BDA has gone cold on the issue.

Documents reviewed by DH show that the BDA had leased the 1,118.28-square metre CA site to Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), a public sector company, for 30 years. The IOCL paid Rs 1.53 crore for the same in November 2019.

But over six months later, the corporation is yet to take possession of the site which has been encroached upon by private parties. In a letter to the BDA recently, the IOCL said when its representatives went to take over the site, "unscrupulous elements" were "creating hindrance" in the execution of works. The IOCL says the issue is leading to "financial losses".

Curiously, BDA engineers who responded positively to the complaint initially have not pursued it since. While an FIR was lodged against the encroachers at the Hulimavu police station on February 21, 2020, the case has gone into cold storage.

The Bangalore Petroleum Dealers Association, which has taken up the cause of the IOCL, has urged the BDA to reclaim the site. "Despite the FIR, the higher-ups in the BDA and the police have not taken steps to reclaim the land," Balaji Rao N, association president, said in a note.

Speaking to DH, Rao called the BDA's attitude towards a public sector company "worrisome". "BDA mediators and the land mafia have come together to make sure the site is not reclaimed. The land is public property and the IOCL is a government company. The BDA must take immediate action against the mafia," he said.

When contacted for a response, BDA commissioner H R Mahadev said: "I have asked the officials to bring the entire file. I will take a decision after checking the details."