BMTF files cheating case against BDA officers

The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) has registered a case of cheating against the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officers for carving out 112 sites out of 38 acres of land which was not notified by the State government.

Sources in the BMTF said the Task Force registered the case under section 420, 306 and 192 of the IPC read with 33 of the BDA Act against the yet-to-be-named BDA officers based on a complaint by Rajmohan.

The complainant had stated that the BDA allotted him a site way back in 1996 which he got registered in 2010. In the year of registration, he got the building plan sanctioned by the BBMP.

When he started the construction, officials of the Karnataka Public Land Corporation (KPLC) took objection to it, served him a notice, fenced the land and put up a notice saying trespassers will be prosecuted.

Rajmohan rued: “I have become a trespasser in my own land, which the BDA had allotted to me 14 years ago.”

What annoyed him was that the BDA authorities did not give him any satisfactory reply, compelling him to lodge a complaint with the BMTF.

The BMTF sources said they have served a notice on the BDA to explain under what circumstances they took possession of the government land without even issuing notification, formed layout and then allotted it to the beneficiaries.

The sources said due to the blunder committed by the BDA, the beneficiaries feel cheated. The said the registration of case became necessary to make the government organisation accountable.

BDA loses credibility
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Rajmohan and other people, who were allegedly cheated by the BDA, said he was earlier allotted land in HBR Layout, but due to some dispute he was allotted an alternative site at HRBR Layout. But little did he know that dispute will arise here too shaking his faith in the government body.

He said: “It is a strange situation. We are yet to ascertain which one is the real government body- the BDA or the KPLC. While the BDA forms layout and distributes it to people, the deputy commissioner of KPLC says the land allotted is illegal and the allottees need to vacate the sites.”

Another victim of BDA’s bungling, Shankar, said: “The blunder by the BDA has made people lose faith in the institution. There is no government body to do justice to the people,” said Shankar.

The air of uncertainty has given sleepless nights to the site owners. Ever since they received notices from the KPLC to vacate the sites and demolish their buildings six months ago, they have been regularly meeting on Sundays.

“We used to keep Sundays reserved for our family members but not any more. Now, we meet on Sundays to discuss strategies,” said Ansar Ahmed, one of the site owners at HRBR Layout.