Palike-BMTC pact on land raises hackles

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) entering into an agreement to exchange land to bail out the City from garbage crisis has raised many eyebrows.

As rubbish started piling up across Bangalore after the closure of the landfill sites, the BBMP agreed to exchange four acres and 13 guntas of its land at Kalasipalyam for 174 acres and six guntas of the BMTC land in eight different locations across the metropolitan region.

The eight locations where the BMTC has its property up for exchange are Kannuru (50 acres), Mittaganahalli (10 acres), Doddenahalli (14.09 acres), all in Bidarahalli hobli; Sunkadakatte in Uttarahalli hobli (15 acres); Yalachaguppe in Tavarakere hobli (10 acres); Saneguruvanahalli in Yeshwantpur hobli (10 acres); Indlawadi in Anekal Kasaba hobli (11 acres); and Kallubalu in Jigani hobli (60.37 acres).

Anticipating approval from the BBMP Council for the exchange of land at Kalasipalyam with the BMTC during the monthly Council meeting on November 29, the BBMP administration has sent the proposal to the State government for its nod.

The government, in its order on Tuesday, directed the BBMP and the BMTC to submit a report within a week.

A former mayor, who provided a copy of the State government’s order, questioned the exchange agreement.

“How can the government approve the proposal anticipating the Council’s clearance? This is a clear violation of Section 175 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act,” he said.

As per Section 175 of the KMC Act, the Municipal Commissioner is bound to abide by the resolution of the Municipal Standing Committee and the Municipal Council for either acquiring or exchanging land.

He wondered why the two government bodies should exchange land when the public property can be straightaway given to the BBMP.

He said the BBMP land at Kalasipalyam was given by the Mysore Maharaja to the then civic agency to use it for providing amenities to the public.