Greater Bengaluru Authority begins processing land-use change requests

Bengaluru: In a relief to property owners and developers, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has started accepting requests for change of land use (CLU) and development plans (DPs), which are also linked to the city’s growth.

The move comes several months after the state government empowered the GBA with planning powers, previously held by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

Applications related to change of land use determine the type of development— residential, commercial or industrial — while the development plan is linked to the building sketch approval.

Officials in the Greater Bengaluru Authority’s town planning department said the authority has already started processing applications, but has yet to form a committee to clear requests.

“We are currently accepting applications manually at the Greater Bengaluru Authority headquarters. The process of developing a software application is underway,” an official said.

Builders familiar with the process said there is confusion as the applications were previously handled by the BDA.

“The entire process is offline, which is the same as the Bangalore Development Authority. There are initial hiccups, but it could take about two or three meetings to figure out the process,” he said.

Under the new system, he said, only the front desk has changed. “Ultimately, all applications go to the Urban Development Department.”