SC orders, oversight of BDA welcome

Two recent orders of the Supreme Court have thoroughly exposed the callous manner in which the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) functions, with utter disregard to propriety, the rule book and even court orders. In the first case, the court has directed BDA to take back housing sites illegally allotted to a few influential people, including Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and some BJP leaders. In the second, the apex court has requested the Justice A V Chandrasekhar Committee to exercise supervision over the upcoming Shivaram Karanth Layout, which only expresses the judiciary’s complete lack of faith in the BDA and its officers.

The court, which had some time ago sought the transfer of BDA Commissioner Rajesh Gowda over the illegal allotment of sites, has now directed that the agency’s Secretary C L Anand and Deputy Secretary N N Madhu be removed. The court has ordered BDA not only to cancel the allotment of the sites but also to take physical possession of them. In October last, the court had directed that sites in developed layouts should be allotted only through public auction. However, the BDA, in violation of this order, made out-of-turn allotments to seven individuals, including Jnanendra. The Home Minister has claimed that he was earlier allotted a site in HSR Layout in his capacity as an elected representative but as that plot was under litigation, he was allotted an alternative one at RMV II Stage. Whatever be the background, the question is, why should preferential allotment be made to VIPs when thousands of ordinary people are waiting in the queue for years together. In the case of Shivaram Karanth Layout, the BDA’s progress has been excruciatingly slow, leaving over 2,500 allottees in a limbo. There is now some hope for them with the Chandrasekhar Committee exercising oversight. This is the first time since the BDA’s inception in 1976 that an external body has been charged with supervising the development of a layout. The court may also have to direct its attention to two other newly formed layouts, Arkavathi and Kempegowda layouts, which too have their own tales of woes. Though the allotments were made years ago, the layouts are not fit for habitation as the BDA is yet to provide basic amenities like roads, drainage, water, and electric supply. These layouts, too, require the Chandrasekhar Committee’s oversight.

Adverse court orders are unlikely, however, to have much impact on the BDA, whose officials have become thick-skinned. Mere transfers of errant officers seem to serve no purpose. The agency is unlikely to change unless some strong punitive actions, including dismissal and prosecution, are taken against wrongdoers.