Govt promises to unveil TDR policy

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Thursday said the State government will soon unveil new Transferable Development Rights (TDR) policy to enable urban local bodies to acquire lands for implementing infrastructure projects.

The minister stated this in reply to the demand by MLAs cutting across party lines to increase TDR from 1.5 times the value of properties to 2.5 times, in the Assembly.

He, however, did not indicate the quantum of increase in TDR in the new policy.

Earlier, BJP MLA from Yelahanka S R Vishwanath said the BBMP will not be able to take up road widening projects unless TDR is increased. The BBMP cannot acquire land in the City paying huge cost. The property owners, on the other hand, are refusing to part with their properties at the existing value of TDR.

Congress MLA from Hoskote M T B Nagaraj said steps should be taken to make TDR popular and attractive for people. In the existing TDR rules, property owners will incur huge loss. Moreover, TRD rules are framed in such a way they benefit only big builders, he added.

Participating in a discussion on motion of thanks on the Governor’s address, BJP MLA from Basavanagudi Ravi Subramanya urged the government to come out with road history document to prevent corruption in the BBMP. The Palike currently has no clue of repair and asphalt works taken up in its jurisdiction in the absence of road history. This has only helped the officials misuse tax-payers’ money, he added.

He said he had recently requested the government to allow him to utilize his MLA funds to install CCTV cameras in some locations in Basavanagudi to prevent crimes such as chain snatching. But the planning department raised objection saying that it will infringe on privacy of people in public places, he added.

Ramalinga Reddy, who is also Bengaluru in-charge minister, said he will request Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to soon convene a meeting of all 28 MLAs of Bengaluru to discuss the issues related to development.