BDA seeks more time on lake bed layout

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) on Friday again sought 14 days time from the Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi to rectify its blunder of forming a residential layout on Venkatarayana Kere, a lake land, throwing all norms to the wind.

In the last five months ever since a complaint was lodged with the Upa Lokayukta, BDA has been urging him to spare it by considering this one as a special case.

Justice Adi has been plainly refusing it, stating that the existing rules and the rulings of Supreme Court and High Court do not permit usage of lake land for purposes other than water storage.

On Friday, the Deputy Secretary of the BDA, Dayanand Bhandari along with land acquisition officer appeared before Justice Adi and told him that the board meeting did take place but the Minister for Urban Development had not signed on the papers since he was busy with the Assembly session.

“Once the Assembly session is over on February 13, we will get his signature. Please grant us time till February 16,” urged Bhandari.

Justice Adi gave one week's time from February 13 and asked them to come fully prepared. He said that it would be the last opportunity for them to appear with an alternative.

Meanwhile, the site allottees were agitated with the BDA, for making them run from pillar to post to get a compensation and alternative sites. At least 30 allottees on Friday appeared before Justice Adi requesting him to resolve the matter at the earliest. However, BDA's response irked them.

Reshma, one of the allottees, said, “For no fault of us, we are being dragged in this case. Why did the BDA cheat people? Why the BDA officers did not verify properly that the land in question was a lake? Is it our fault that we reposed faith in the BDA?”

Reshma said she was working as a manager in a private firm but ever since the controversy broke out.