BDA to take call on Juidical dept employees' housing co-op's 'new' plan

In the thick of controversy over allotment of 404 sites carved out of Civic Amenity (CA) plots, the Judicial Department Employees House Building Co-operative Society (HBCS) has submitted a modified layout plan to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) as per the High Court order.

The direction of the court is based on the writ petition that was filed by Judicial Layout Residents’ and Site Holders’ Association, challenging the allotment of residential sites carved out of CA sites.

It is interesting to see whether BDA will consider the modified plan, wherein the CA sites have been converted into residential plots to suit the society’s allotment needs. 

BDA commissioner Dr Rajkumar Khatri told Deccan Herald that the modified plan submitted by the society was under consideration. “A decision will be taken as per the rules,” he said.

The BDA will also take a decision on regularising the allotment of 404 sites carved out of CA plots.

The division bench of the High Court had ordered to approve the plan strictly as per the BDA Act. The authority had not approved the layout plan submitted by the society in 1992. As per this plan, there were CA sites marked. The society, however, went ahead and formed the layout. They formed residential sites on CA plots also. The BDA, in the court, objected to converting CA sites into residential plots.

The society has allotted various dimensions of sites, in some cases as huge as
more than 10,000 sq ft, in the area earmarked for CA sites. The division bench of Justice Rammohan Reddy and Justice Billappa on June 1, 2016, while passing the order, dismissed the claim by the society that the plan was cleared by the then CMC of Yelahanka.

The BDA had submitted to the court that the society had formed 131 sites in the area reserved for civic amenity and 273 sites in the area reserved for parks, which totals to 404 sites illegally formed.

The bench directed the society to prepare a layout plan in land acquired by the government and also in the land purchased by the society and submit to the BDA for approval and sanction in accordance with Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act and BDA Act.

 The court has directed the BDA to consider the layout plan submitted by the society and approve the same in accordance with law within four months thereafter.