<p>Stung by the Supreme Court’s October order that had put an end to the allotment of sites in older layouts, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has proposed an amendment to its rule that may ‘circumvent’ the apex court’s order.</p>.<p>At its recent board meeting, the authority decided to recommend to the state government for amending Rule 11 A (Allotment of Sites) of the BDA Act. </p>.<p>A source privy to the development told <span class="italic">DH</span> that by amending the rule, the BDA wants to allot an alternative site in case the allottee is unable to build a house even after getting a possession certificate from the authority.</p>.<p>The amendment will also enable the BDA to allot an alternative site in older layouts that are situated in prime areas and closer to the city centre, added the source.</p>.<p>While the rule will help a number of allottees whose sites are either under litigation or denotified by the courts, the exemption is expected to open avenues for misuse. The authority has a record of allotting alternative sites to ‘select’ persons and politicians by taking shelter under the Rule 11 A of the BDA Act. </p>.<p>In September last year, <span class="italic">DH</span> had reported how the BDA allotted a prime site in exchange for a site allotted around 50 years ago.</p>.<p>The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had also exposed the alternative site scam in a detailed report published in 2012. Such allotments bring no revenue to the BDA while parting with prime plots. </p>.<p>The BDA’s proposal goes against the SC’s October order. The apex court had ruled that the BDA can form sites in recovered lands of the older layouts but they can be sold only through public auction. The SC had also stated<br />that the BDA can allot alternative sites only in new layouts such as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, Arkavathy Layout, etc.</p>.<p>“The sites formed in these (recovered) lands, both intermediary and corner sites or any other intermediary sites in the developed layouts, have to be disposed of only by public auction. Bangalore Development Authority (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984, are not applicable to the sites formed in the recovered properties or the intermediary sites in the developed layouts. These rules are applicable only to the new layouts formed by the BDA,” the SC order states.</p>.<p>DH tried reaching out to BDA Chairman S R Vishwanath but he was unavailable.</p>
<p>Stung by the Supreme Court’s October order that had put an end to the allotment of sites in older layouts, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has proposed an amendment to its rule that may ‘circumvent’ the apex court’s order.</p>.<p>At its recent board meeting, the authority decided to recommend to the state government for amending Rule 11 A (Allotment of Sites) of the BDA Act. </p>.<p>A source privy to the development told <span class="italic">DH</span> that by amending the rule, the BDA wants to allot an alternative site in case the allottee is unable to build a house even after getting a possession certificate from the authority.</p>.<p>The amendment will also enable the BDA to allot an alternative site in older layouts that are situated in prime areas and closer to the city centre, added the source.</p>.<p>While the rule will help a number of allottees whose sites are either under litigation or denotified by the courts, the exemption is expected to open avenues for misuse. The authority has a record of allotting alternative sites to ‘select’ persons and politicians by taking shelter under the Rule 11 A of the BDA Act. </p>.<p>In September last year, <span class="italic">DH</span> had reported how the BDA allotted a prime site in exchange for a site allotted around 50 years ago.</p>.<p>The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had also exposed the alternative site scam in a detailed report published in 2012. Such allotments bring no revenue to the BDA while parting with prime plots. </p>.<p>The BDA’s proposal goes against the SC’s October order. The apex court had ruled that the BDA can form sites in recovered lands of the older layouts but they can be sold only through public auction. The SC had also stated<br />that the BDA can allot alternative sites only in new layouts such as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, Arkavathy Layout, etc.</p>.<p>“The sites formed in these (recovered) lands, both intermediary and corner sites or any other intermediary sites in the developed layouts, have to be disposed of only by public auction. Bangalore Development Authority (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984, are not applicable to the sites formed in the recovered properties or the intermediary sites in the developed layouts. These rules are applicable only to the new layouts formed by the BDA,” the SC order states.</p>.<p>DH tried reaching out to BDA Chairman S R Vishwanath but he was unavailable.</p>
