BDA to provide basic infra to developed layouts

Bengaluru: Bangalore Development Authority is ready to hand over some layouts to BBMP. After decades of struggle finally to appease site owners Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has gone ahead to provide basic infrastructure to some of the developed layouts.

BDA has started the construction of drainage system, water supply, electricity and connecting road in Anjanapura and JP Nagar and tenders have been invited to undertake the work in other layouts as well. The tenders are being finalized to start work in Visvesvaraya and Banashankari layout as per a report.

"Residents of the layouts have been waiting for almost a decade and were disappointed with the pace at which the work was progressing. "We have held discussions with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to start work on providing water supply and UGD connections," said a senior BDA official.

It has been 17 years since the allotment of the land, and even today we do not have basic facilities such as water and electricity supply. I wonder why BDA should be brought in here for such basic issues, said Veda Murthy, one of the plot owners of Anjanapura Layout.

He said that BDA, the responsible government body, should voluntarily take up the works and provide minimum basic facilities to the people to build houses in these layouts. Another owner, who was allotted a plot from Visvesvaraya Layout, lamented that the residents have to run behind the authorities for every basic work.

It is enough to ask the authorities to fix a streetlamp or a dilapidated road. Some parts of the layout do not have proper roads and we have no grievance redressal mechanism to resolve the issues, alleged a resident of Visvesvaraya Layout. But a senior BDA official said that the excessive delay is due to land acquisition problem.

There are instances where the authorities have announced the creation of a layout due to political reasons. However, land acquisition is not complete and is done in some parts. A senior BDA official said that it is difficult for engineers to plan infrastructure without acquiring the entire layout land.

Yelahanka MLA and BDA President SR Vishwanath spoke about this and said that a plan will be prepared for this. The layout was to be handed over to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike(BBMP) within a year. I agree that it is too late now. But now about Rs 400 crores have been sanctioned for the development of these layouts and will be handed over to BBMP soon, he said.

In the meantime, the authorities should immediately identify the newly deeded assets under BBMP. Such assets should be taxed and brought under the ambit of property tax. Then BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath suggested that tax should be collected from them.