BDA clears Venkatarayana lake of encroachment

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) on Friday demolished illegal structures that had come up on Venkatarayana lake in Gubbalala village near Uttarahalli of Bangalore South taluk.

A portion of lake was encroached upon by land grabbers. Some of them had erected sheds on the encroached lake land. Ironically, the development authority, throwing all cautions to the wind, had formed a layout on a portion of the lakebed.

A resident of Gubbalala had lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta. Acting on the complaint, the Lokayukta had directed the BDA to clear encroachment. On Friday morning, the BDA officials, with some help from police, carried out drive to clear encroachment of Venkatarayana lake.

The BDA had turned the lake, located on survey number 8 of Gubbalala village and measuring four acres and 15 guntas, into a layout way back in 2004.

Interestingly, the BDA Board and the State government have not given their approval for the said layout. But that didn’t stop the development authority officials from allotting the plot to individuals. 

Deccan Herald had carried a report in July last year exposing the lapses of the BDA but no concrete action has been taken on the issue so far.