BDA plans to hand over a few layouts to BBMP

In a relief to site owners, a few layouts developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) might finally get basic infrastructure, after decades of struggle.

The BDA has started work on providing an underground drainage network, water supply, electricity and connecting roads at Anjanapura and JP Nagar, and tenders have been called to take up works in other layouts as well.

“Tenders are being finalised to begin works at Vishweshwaraiah and Banashankari layouts. We have held discussions with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) as well to start work on providing water supply and UGD connections,” a senior BDA official said.

The residents of the layouts have been waiting for nearly a decade and are disappointed at the pace at which the works are taken up.

“It has been 17 years since I was allotted a site and even today, we do not have basic facilities such as water and power supply. I wonder why the BDA has to be pulled up for such basic things,” said Veda Murthy, one of the site owners at Anjanapura Layout.

He added that the BDA, as a responsible government agency, should take up work voluntarily and provide at least the basic facilities for people to construct houses in these layouts.

Yet another site allottee from Vishweshwaraiah Layout said that the residents had to run behind officials for every basic work.

“It gets difficult to get officials to fix a street light or a bad road. At a few parts of the layout, there are no proper roads and we have no grievance redressal mechanism to get the problems fixed,” a resident of Vishweshwaraiah Layout said.

Land acquisition

Asked about the inordinate delay, a senior BDA official said that land acquisition was a problem.

“There are instances when the authorities announce the formation of a layout owing to political reasons. However, the land acquisition will not be completed and would be done in parts. Without the possession of the complete layout land, it is difficult for engineers to plan the basic infrastructure,” a senior BDA official said.

Yelahanka MLA and BDA Chairman S R Vishwanath said that they plan to
hand over the layout to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) within a year.

“I agree there has been a delay. But now, we have allotted close to Rs 400 crore for the development of these layouts and we will soon hand them over to the BBMP,” he said.