Arkavathy allottees plan to move court

Despite being given allotment letters almost eight years ago, over 8,000 allottees of the Arkavathy Layout formed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), are still waiting for their sites to be registered in their names.

The agitated allottees are now planning to move court against the BDA and the State government.

The allottees point out that the BDA commissioner had assured them and the court that the sites will be given by the end of March, this year.

The same was also reportedly assured by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But four months after, there has been no progress either on paper or on ground.

Further, most allottees are now senior citizens and some allottees have even died waiting for a site of their own.

G Shivaprakash, president, Arkavathy Layout Allottees Association, told Deccan Herald that the allotment was done in 2006 and 8,813 people were assured sites spread across 2,750 acres.

Later, after court cases and exemptions, the area was reduced to 1,746 acres. Of which, some more acres are likely to be reduced, but, till date, BDA has not prepared the final area development plan.

“We have allotment letters, but still do not have site registration and possession certificates.

During the Lok Adalat in March, some allottees were given alternative sites and allotment papers.

But after that, there has been no further progress. Each BDA official has been passing the buck to the other department,” Shivaprakash said, adding that the Association has decided to wait till July end and file contempt cases in the first week of August|.

Adding to this, Association Secretary, Sanjay Marlecha, said: “BDA is said to have given around 150 alternative sites so far. Many more are yet to get details of their alternative sites. Now, unfortunately most allottees are senior citizens and will be finding it difficult to get bank loans. Also around 30 allottees, who were already aged, have died waiting for a site.”

Meanwhile, BDA sources said that most files of allottees are pending with the land acquisition department and some with the accounts department.

Sources added that work on ground cannot progress unless all the files are completed and collected at one place.

“Only after completing these formalities, layout development work will start and allottees have to wait till then,” a source said.