N Jayaram tightens his grip over BDA

Bengaluru: N Jayaram, an IAS officer from the 2004 batch, seems to be consolidating his control over the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which has been rapidly proposing land-use changes. He assumed the role of BDA commissioner last October.

In a recent circular, the BDA commissioner has mandated that no feedback on land-use changes be provided to the deputy commissioners of Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts without his prior notice. Previously, it was standard practice for the town planning division to share feedback, as it pertained to assessing the future use of properties before approving any conversions.

According to sources, this directive may lead to increased bureaucratic delays, as the BDA is notorious for stalling files unless they are submitted by influential individuals or organisations.