Blind to its own NOC, BDA razes houses

20 families of RMV II stage forced to spend the night in neighbours houses

The residents staged a demonstration on Sunday outside the residence of BWSSB Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, who said he would take the matter up with the Chief Minister.

It was a rain of woes on Saturday for around 20 families of RMV II Stage whose properties were completely razed by the BDA. People had to spend the night at their neighbours’ houses, who too were gripped by fear.

The BDA said in a press note that illegal settlements had come up on its property on survey number 1/1, 1/2 and 1/4 at Geddalahalli, RMV IInd Stage. In a morning swoop, it demolished some sheds, houses and RCC buildings on survey number 1/1 and 1/2. It also demolished a few of the houses on survey number 1/4. The BDA claimed that it had recovered property worth Rs 45 crore and fenced it. However, when Deccan Herald visited the spot, there was no sign of any fence.

The residents claimed that they were not given notices, nor the opportunity to represent before the competent authority to save their houses from demolition.

Interestingly most property owners not only have the BBMP khata papers but also plans sanctioned by it. Retired government servant Velayudan living in the area showed the khata papers, tax receipts and the building plan sanctioned by the BBMP but his house has been pulled down by the BDA’s anti-encroachment squad.

K Narayana Raju’s case is astonishing. He owns one acres and four guntas on survey numbers 1/1 and 1/2 of Geddallahalli, now known as RMV IInd stage and has secured eight no-objection certificates (NOC) from the BDA for his eight different sites.

“I got my property registered  on April 20, 1989 and got NOC on August 24, 1992 wide serial number BDA/JDTP/P/NOC/ 158 / 92-93. I paid Rs 1,672 to the BDA wayback in 1992 to get the NOC,” Raju said. Now the BDA is refusing to accept its own NOC.

Many people from this area have secured housing loans from nationalised and private banks. They said the banks would not have sanctioned loans if the documents were not valid.

The residents alleged that a powerful local politician along with his public representative son had visited the place a few days before the demolition. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s house is close by and many people in power were said to be eyeing this property.