Shivaram Karanth Layout plan hangs in balance as panel term ends in Dec

Bengaluru: The term of Justice A V Chandrashekar Committee (JCC), which is supervising the formation of Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout on the orders of the Supreme Court, is all set to expire in December-end. The absence of the committee at a crucial time when the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is just preparing to compensate the land losers and allot 34,000 sites has raised serious concerns. 

From undertaking the tedious task of regularizing over 5,204 buildings constructed prior to August 2018 and ensuring speedy acquisition of properties as well as civil works, the Chandrashaker committee was the key driver behind the success of BDA’s new housing project. The team also introduced the novel concept of issuing entitlement certificates to land losers, which was sort of a legal document to claim compensation. 

Recently, Dy CM DK Shivakumar acknowledged the committee’s contribution by saying the under-formation Karanth Layout was as well-planned as Jayanagar. 

While the three-member team headed by a former Judge of the High Court along with former BDA commissioner Jayakar Jerome and former Director General of Police S T Ramesh has achieved close to 90% of the mandate in a short span of two years, there is a fear that all the good work that has happened so far could go in vain once the committee’s term expires. The absence, many say, could also open a Pandora’s box as the BDA does not have a track record of delivering the project neatly.

Anticipating the committee’s end of term, the BDA is reportedly delaying the process of allotting the sites even though the three-member team and the BDA’s board of directors gave their consent in September this year. Many believe the Justice Chandrashekar committee should be extended for at least six months to one year. They reminded the mess the BDA has created both in Arkavathi and Nadaprabhu Kempegowda layouts where neither the allottees nor the land losers or farmers are happy. 

“The committee has shown that the BDA can deliver a project successfully provided there is supervision,” Surya Kiran, who bought a site in Kempegowda layout, said. “From clearing all hurdles to building the layout as per plan and frequently visiting the sites, Shivaram Karanth layout has created a history of sorts as compared to older layouts,” he said, adding the last two layouts turned out to be a mess because of land acquisition challenges and delay in infrastructure work. “If the committee does not get an extension, the layout will face the same problems as
previous layouts.”