<p>Bengaluru: After years of litigation, delays and anxious waiting for thousands of landowners, the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout project is finally inching towards resolution, with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) now preparing to begin allotting sites to those who gave up their land. </p>.<p>In all likelihood, the agency may invite applications exclusively from land losers within a couple of weeks.</p>.<p>According to officials, the first phase will cover around 5,000 sites. </p>.<p>The development is significant and yet delayed as it comes more than two months after the High Court of Karnataka — in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court — permitted the BDA to allot sites to land losers who had surrendered their land for the housing layout. </p>.After Bengaluru ATM cash-van heist, fake ED officials loot jewellery worth Rs 3 cr in Hubballi.<p>What's more, this comes as a major relief for land losers, who had completely parted with their properties as early as in February 2023 and have been waiting ever since for compensation. </p>.<p>Under what the BDA calls the 60:40 scheme, farmers are eligible to receive 9,583 sqft of ‘developed sites’ in return for parting with one acre of undeveloped land. </p>.<p>A senior BDA official said the authority had developed software to accept applications and distribute sites. </p>.<p>"The software is ready. Details of farmers and the extent of land lost are being fed into the system. This is being done to ensure transparency and eliminate manual intervention. We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past,” the official said, adding that a pilot rollout is likely this week, with full allotment expected to begin in December. </p>.<p>Although the layout was ready for allotment last year, the process was halted after the government attempted to issue sites simultaneously to the general public and to land losers. The high court stayed the move, resulting in a prolonged halt to the allotment exercise. The layout comprises approximately 34,000 sites in total. </p>.<p>Another official acknowledged that the layout, spread across 3,500 acres in 17 villages of North Bengaluru, is almost ready, barring a few parcels stalled due to pending litigation before the high court. "We are confident of securing favourable outcomes," the official emphasised. </p>.<p><span class="bold"><strong>'Real estate for BDA's benefit'</strong></span></p>.<p>Ramesh M, a social activist from Ramagondanahalli, who has lost a small piece of land to the layout, said the BDA’s assurances of ‘developed’ sites had not been fully met. </p>.<p>"The BDA has provided the basic infrastructure needed to build houses, but there is no piped water supply. When the 110 villages added to the corporation limits about 20 years ago are getting water connections only now, when will this layout get it? Technically, the BDA has taken up a real estate project for its own benefit," he said. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: After years of litigation, delays and anxious waiting for thousands of landowners, the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout project is finally inching towards resolution, with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) now preparing to begin allotting sites to those who gave up their land. </p>.<p>In all likelihood, the agency may invite applications exclusively from land losers within a couple of weeks.</p>.<p>According to officials, the first phase will cover around 5,000 sites. </p>.<p>The development is significant and yet delayed as it comes more than two months after the High Court of Karnataka — in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court — permitted the BDA to allot sites to land losers who had surrendered their land for the housing layout. </p>.After Bengaluru ATM cash-van heist, fake ED officials loot jewellery worth Rs 3 cr in Hubballi.<p>What's more, this comes as a major relief for land losers, who had completely parted with their properties as early as in February 2023 and have been waiting ever since for compensation. </p>.<p>Under what the BDA calls the 60:40 scheme, farmers are eligible to receive 9,583 sqft of ‘developed sites’ in return for parting with one acre of undeveloped land. </p>.<p>A senior BDA official said the authority had developed software to accept applications and distribute sites. </p>.<p>"The software is ready. Details of farmers and the extent of land lost are being fed into the system. This is being done to ensure transparency and eliminate manual intervention. We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past,” the official said, adding that a pilot rollout is likely this week, with full allotment expected to begin in December. </p>.<p>Although the layout was ready for allotment last year, the process was halted after the government attempted to issue sites simultaneously to the general public and to land losers. The high court stayed the move, resulting in a prolonged halt to the allotment exercise. The layout comprises approximately 34,000 sites in total. </p>.<p>Another official acknowledged that the layout, spread across 3,500 acres in 17 villages of North Bengaluru, is almost ready, barring a few parcels stalled due to pending litigation before the high court. "We are confident of securing favourable outcomes," the official emphasised. </p>.<p><span class="bold"><strong>'Real estate for BDA's benefit'</strong></span></p>.<p>Ramesh M, a social activist from Ramagondanahalli, who has lost a small piece of land to the layout, said the BDA’s assurances of ‘developed’ sites had not been fully met. </p>.<p>"The BDA has provided the basic infrastructure needed to build houses, but there is no piped water supply. When the 110 villages added to the corporation limits about 20 years ago are getting water connections only now, when will this layout get it? Technically, the BDA has taken up a real estate project for its own benefit," he said. </p>