How did residential areas become commercial, residents ask BDA

 The residents of south Bengaluru targeted Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) officials at the public consultation meeting, questioning how officials allowed commercialisation of areas which were declared residential in the 2015 master plan.
On Thursday, they also questioned the lack of basic facilities  which were highlighted in the earlier master plan.

Nitin Sehsadri, former president of Koramanagala 3rd Block residents’ welfare association, said the earlier master plan had shown many areas in south Bengaluru as residential zones, but on the ground they are commercial. The BDA has planned to declare them commercial, based on road survey, which is nothing but supporting illegal development.

Residents of south Bengaluru demanded that government agencies first complete infrastructure projects before deciding the floor area ratio and betterment charges. The government is only keen on making money without showing any progress, residents said.

“There is no comparative analysis of Bengaluru with other Indian and Asian cities. They are also not clear how much of residential, commercial, mixed and green zones exist and how much has been lost, when compared to the earlier master plan. The BDA has given the task to some private organisation. It does not seem to be a people’s master plan, but a real estate CDP,” Seshadri said.

Keshava Kumar, president of Bengaluru Residents Welfare Association, Jayanagar 4th Block, said , “The whole exercise of holding a public consultation is just an eye wash. The BDA is just doing this to record statements and show it to the government. But in reality, they are not prepared.”

Residents also demanded that the state government use its resources in creating five satellite townships.

BDA Commissioner Rajkumar Khatri tried to convince Bengalureans that this was a pre-draft and it was the first time that the BDA had sought public opinion.  Even as public posed questions to Khatri, he left the venue abruptly, leading to heated arguments.