The Hindu 22.11.2010
‘G' category beneficiaries rush to BDA to get sites
Afshan Yasmeen
| Orders have been issued to the authority for more allotments under ‘G' category |
BDA puts on hold the process of ‘G' category site allotment
Plea to cancel registration of surrendered sites
Bangalore: Following the land scams rocking Karnataka, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has suddenly become a hub of activity.
With the Urban Development Department reportedly issuing government orders directing the BDA to allot ‘G' category sites to an increasing number of people favoured by the Chief Minister, (the BDA has received nearly 15 GOs from November 1 till date), the beneficiaries are rushing to the BDA to get their files cleared and site allotted.
“This is because the beneficiaries are not sure about the Government's fate and are worried that the GO issued in their favour would be kept in abeyance if a political crisis erupts in the State,” a top BDA official told The Hindu.
“But following the recent developments, we have been directed by our Commissioner (Bharatlal Meena) to put on hold the process of ‘G' category site allotment,” the official said.
‘G' category sites are sought after as they are mostly in prime residential areas of the city. It is the discretion of the Chief Minister to allot sites under this category to people who have achieved eminence but do not own residential property in Bangalore.
On Saturday, The Hindu found at least three beneficiaries who were trying to get files pertaining to a GO issued in their favour moved. While one was trying to get a fresh site allotted in HBR Layout, the other two were making attempts to get alternative sites. An aide of Chamundeshwari MLA M. Satyanarayana (Congress) was seen waiting to meet a top official to get the file pertaining to an alternative site allotment cleared.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that a site allotted to the former MLA S.M. Muniyappa in HAL 2 {+n} {+d} Stage has recently been swapped with the former Minister Hartal Halappa, who was allotted a site in Geddalahalli.
Cancellation
Following the surrendering of the sites by the Chief Minister's relatives, RTI activists now demand that the cancellations should not be only on papers in the BDA. “The sites are registered in their names at the jurisdictional sub-registrar offices. The cancellation of allotment will be valid only if they get the registrations (at the sub-registrar offices) cancelled,” said B.M. Shivakumar, an activist.
Mr. Shivakumar said: “We know it is the Chief Minister's discretionary quota. But why should these people get sites only in prime locations? Why cannot they be given in the yet-to-be developed Anjanapura and Visvesvaraya Layouts?”
“Nearly 2.5 lakh applicants are waiting for a BDA site for more than 10 years. But for these MPs and MLAs, including the Chief Minister's son, it has hardly taken a month to grab large-dimension sites in upscale areas in Bangalore. Can anyone believe that the Chief Minister's son does not have a home or a site? B.Y. Raghavendra should be prosecuted for false declaration,” he said.
