BDA plans to seek govt land for park and open space

Worried about shrinking lung space in its jurisdiction, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has decided to submit a proposal to the State government urging it to earmark select government lands in and around Bengaluru as park and open space.

The BDA is currently conducting a survey to identify suitable government lands in its jurisdiction for this purpose. The Authority has the power to convert zoning regulation of a particular land into park and open space under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act. There is no need for the government to follow any official procedure for handing over the ownership, BDA Town Planning Director Chowde Gowda said.

The Authority’s move comes in the wake of a recent government circular directing all the Urban Development Authorities (UDAs) to give back private lands earmarked as park and open space to the original owners if they fail to acquire them within five years. Land earmarked as park and open space has to be acquired by the UDAs, including  the BDA, within five years of notifying the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), as per the circular issued under the provisions of Section 69(2) of the KTCP Act.

If not, the original owners of such lands can take their property back from the UDAs, and the UDAs will have to hand over such lands by changing the zoning regulation (other than park and open space). The UDAs can also give permission for any kind of land use (like residential or commercial or industrial), depending on the kind of development in the surrounding areas, as per the circular.

Sources in the Urban Development Department (UDD) said ever since the government issued the circular, the UDAs have been receiving large number of applications from original land owners claiming their lands. The BDA had earmarked about 10 per cent of its total 1,219 sq km land for parks, playground and public use in its CDP for 2007-15. But the Authority has not been able to acquire these lands so far due to paucity of funds.

Chowde Gowda said converting the government land into park and open spaces not only provides the much-needed lung space, but also helps prevent encroachment of these valuable lands.

Once a piece of land is reserved as park and open space, no construction can be taken up on it. This as a result will keep land sharks away from it, he explained.