Access road drama reaches boiling point in Bangalore

An access road has become a bone of contention between members of the Vakil Garden City Owners’ Welfare Association and AS Jayashima, an owner of a neighbouring piece of land. On Tuesday, Jayashima sent a few men to demolish the compound wall of the layout.

Association secretary Robin RK said: “We had gone to work and there were only some women and elderly persons when Jayashima’s men demolished the compound on two sides.

Security personnel could not avert the incident. We approached the Thalaghattapura police station and filed a complaint. This is the third complaint we have filed against Jayasheema's activities in the last two months, but no action has been taken by the police,” he said.

Vakil Garden City, a residential layout located in Thalaghattapura, Kanakapura Road, was developed by Vakil Housing Development Corporation. The original landowners are Y Shivaramakrishna and Jayashima, who had an agreement with the developer in 2003 to develop a layout and got a BDA approval. There are about 307 sites in the layout.

According to the agreement, the corporation constructed a seven-foot compound wall around the layout. Trouble began when Jayashima, who also owns a land next to the layout, decided to construct an apartment. “He is planning to construct an apartment building and wants the approach road to his apartment to pass through the layout, even though there is an approach road to his property on the other side. Since it is a posh layout, Jayashima wants the approach road so he can sell the flat for a higher price”, said Robin.

Association members have complained to the BBMP commissioner, mayor and zonal joint commissioner, but with no results. “When we took over the site, it was a forest. Most residents here are NRIs and software engineers. We bought the land because the layout was safe. But if we allow the access from our locality to Jayashima’s apartments, then there will be no security. We’re spending Rs60 lakh for the layout’s maintenance. If this kind of an incident happens in the layout, then nobody will buy the land on the city’s outskirts,” said Gautham, an association member.

Meanwhile, Jayashima said when his land was given to the Vakil Housing Development Corporation, he informed landowners that Vakil Green City is the first phase and the upcoming apartments would be the second phase and it must have an access road. “Nobody can block the road, which is for public movement. And the compound demolition was done by the BBMP,  not by me,” he said.