For want of land, BDA plans for vertical growth

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is preparing to go vertical in the three new and yet-to-be formed layouts - D Devaraj Urs Layout, S Nijalingappa Layout and K C Reddy Layout - if a BDA study finds the formation of these layouts not feasible.

The study has been outsourced to a private agency which will establish the feasibility or otherwise of layout formation. The BDA has acknowledged that shortage of land has been impacting the formation of the new layouts, a problem that began with the formation of Arkavathy layout. Property aspirants in the City will have to be prepared to accept vertical property. The purchase of a BDA site, a life-time dream for people may not fructify in future property and housing plans, BDA has stated.

BDA Commissioner T Sham Bhatt told Deccan Herald: “The three new layouts will be formed only if found feasible. If not, BDA will drop the plan. BDA is preparing to go vertical if there is paucity of land with regard to these layouts. Land availability has become an issue because the price per acre is prohibitive and the cost has been increasing with every passing day. Given these conditions, the BDA has to be ready to go vertical henceforth.” The commissioner hinted that the cost of going vertical will be far more affordable than going horizontal.

 “When the price per acre of land goes up rapidly, you have to allocate more funds. From where will the money come? I understand that in future land acquisition will be a problem. Land will not be available for all. We still have to have a way of developing property and that means going vertical.”

The commissioner’s statement makes it very clear that people would get sites only from Arkavathy, Kempe Gowda and Shivarama Karanth layouts, which however is in doubt as problems with Arkavathy layout have not been solved nearly 11 years after the project was launched in 2004. To this day, a majority of complaints to the BDA pertain to Arkavathy layout. The gravest problem with Arkavathy layout is that allottees are unable to get physical possession of their land even though they get allotment letters. And alternative sites too are not being given in time because of the problem of double registration and denotification. Moreover, BDA has not made a single land acquisition in the City after 2008 - nearly for seven years now. Not a site has been formed in these years apart from the ones only in Arkavathy layout.

According to the land acquisition department, the study report is expected to be submitted to the BDA in three to four months. “BDA will then submit the report to the State government and appropriate decision will be taken depending on the recommendation of the government ” L Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner, Land Acquisition, BDA said.