The Deccan Herald 02.11.2010
BBMP to regularise KHB’s ‘encroachment’
Bangalore, Nov 1, DH News Service:
Now it is a fait accompli for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The Karnataka Housing Board had ‘encroached, ‘a 15-acre land in the Lingarajapuram tank nearly two decades and built high rise apartments in six acres of land with the approval of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
The Lingrajpuram lake, located on Survey no 43, has now become the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) layout after the construction of the buildings.
The ‘encroachment’ was realised only when the BBMP took up a survey of lakes in and around the city following a direction from the Chief Minister.
Ironically, the BBMP, which is spending crores of rupees to revive the existing water bodies, will now have to regularise the illegality and extend civic amenities.
On Monday, BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah visited the place to inspect the civic amenities provided to the house owners. The visit comes in the wake of the KHB asking the Palike to take over the maintenance of the layout as it was finding it increasingly difficult to manage the situation.
High rise buildings
After his visit, Siddaiah, speaking to Deccan Herald, said that the issue of recovering the same land is out of question as high rise buildings have already been constructed and also approved by the BDA. “The buildings have been constructed on six acres of land and the remaining place is likely to be used for construction of a school and playground,” informed Siddaiah.
The BBMP has already paid Rs 71 lakh to the KHB for 74 houses to KHB. The single bedroom accommodation is likely to be given to the BBMP Pourakarmikas.
The payment towards the apartments, worth Rs 1.15 lakh each, was made during the reign of former BBMP Commissioner Bharath Lal Meena. Overall, the KHB layout has nearly 674 apartments in the vicinity.
