For flouting rules, BDA to give 10% more land to owners

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is now paying a heavy price for violating its own land acquisition rules.

It is now revealed that BDA has taken possession of around 60 acres of land over the years in violation of the BDA Land Acquisition Act. Result: The authority is now planning to wriggle out of the issue by paying an additional 10% of the developed land to the original owners.

According to the Land Acquisition Act of 1976, the preliminary land acquisition should be done under rule 4(1) and final notification under rule 6(1). According to the BDA Act, preliminary notification before the acquisition is must under Rule 17 and final notification under Rule 19. Illegally using up land also violates BDA Land Acquisition Act 2013.

Since these rules were not followed, the land still belongs to the original owners and the acquisition is illegal, said a BDA official.

“BDA has proposed to amend the BDA Act and compensate land losers with 50% of developed land instead 40% in cases where land was used up without legal acquisition. The state government is now scrutinising it,” urban development department sources told DH.

BDA land acquisition officers said: “So far 50-60 acres of land has been illegally used up to provide basic infrastructure and amenities to people, where the acquisition process has been violated. More is yet to be unearthed.”

“Maximum irregularities have happened during layout formation. BDA acquired land to form layouts but illegally acquired surrounding private lands to give connectivity to the layout like in case of Banashankari 6th Stage and Banashankari further extensions, Arkavathy Layout and Dollars Colony and while widening major roads like outer ring road. Similarly, BDA acquired land in a similar fashion while forming civic amenity sites and while enhancing infrastructure near the sites. Though it is only a few guntas in each pocket, the sum total is huge,” officials said.

The issue came to light when BDA commissioner and secretary on July 13 sought a comprehensive list of land used up without following the acquisition process and where compensation was accorded to land losers under court directions.

Information was sought after the authority was put to shame by the Karnataka High Court and the state government. Many people moved court the and approached the chief minister seeking compensation for losing their land to BDA.