‘Bangalore Development Authority needs major surgery’

The high court on Friday observed that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) commissioner should carry out a major surgery of his department as it has failed to provide basic amenities in layouts in the city.

Justice Abdul Nazeer, while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the acquisitions of land for the formation of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, asked the BDA to spell out its action plan for providing basic infrastructure to these layouts.

Some petitioners had also contended that their land was situated in the green belt area, and hence the scheme was opposed to the section 15(4) and 17 (4) of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning act 1961.

Addressing BDA commissioner Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was present in the court, the judge said “Mr Commissioner, you have to answer one crore Bangaloreans. You have to carry out a major surgery in the authority. BDA has failed in every aspect.”

The judge observed that due to lack basic amenities many sites were lying vacant. Justice Nazeer told the BDA commissioner, “If you don’t provide infrastructural facilities in one layout why do you go ahead and form another layout? As a result you later denotify some of the land. First, you reserve the civic amenity sites. Then, in case if the sites are not sold, you denotify them and give it to private persons.”

“Anjanapura layout has now become a mini forest. Why do you invite such problems? You don’t have money to pay salaries, but you still acquire land to form layouts and don’t provide electricity, drainage or drinking water facilities,” the judge said.