The Times of India              19.12.2013

BDA withdraws sites from errant society

BANGALORE: Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) commissioner Sham Bhatt on Wednesday directed officials to withdraw eight sites allegedly availed by a housing society by fabricating documents. The action follows a TOI report on Tuesday.

The Aircraft Employees House Building Co-operative Society (AEHBCS) forged the signature of a BDA official besides affixing the agency seal without its permission in 2012, a recent RTI reply from the civic agency had revealed.

Bhatt said: "I've sent a note to the chief engineer directing him to withdraw the sites immediately. We'll also send a letter to the sub-registrar office stating that the BDA had not released those sites to the society and that all transactions carried out, thereby, will be null and void."

He added, "I've ordered an internal inquiry. If it confirms the signature was indeed forged, a police complaint will be lodged and legal action initiated against the society."

The BDA, in the RTI reply to a society member, had said: "Sites bearing numbers 90/B, 108/E, 1633, 1642/B, 1643/B, 1993, 2060 and 2224/A have not been released to the society. The office bearers of the said society might have fabricated the said documents for cheating."

AEHBCS president Devaraj said on Wednesday he has already written to BBMP seeking cancellation of khatas of these sites.