Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has initiated steps to acquire 300 acres of land for Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) in Bengaluru, a process that has been pending for the last 14 years. The acquisition of this parcel of land had been under litigation as revenue sites had come up there. BDA’s latest move comes in the backdrop of the High Court upholding the acquisition of the land while imposing conditions on BDA.
This will resolve connectivity and contiguity issues in the layout, allottees said.
After the final notification was issued for land acquisition for the layout, the government had not decided on compensation for revenue site land losers.
The land losers approached the HC filing mass petitions. After clubbing all petitions to hear the case, the High Court recently in its verdict said: “The revenue site owners shall register themselves for allotment under BDA (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984 within three months from the date of the order by paying the registration fee. However, payment of initial deposits for them is exempted.”
The order further stated: “The BDA shall treat the applicants as being entitled to priority allotment, and allow each of them a site measuring 30 X 20 feet in the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout at prevailing allotment prices.”
The BDA, in its notice, has said the eligible land losers should collect a form from Canara Bank at the BDA head office and should register for allotment on or before May 23.
A BDA official said while preliminary notification for the layout was issued in 2008, the final notification was issued in 2010. The notification was issued to acquire land in several villages in Bengaluru North taluk and Bengaluru South taluk. The villages are Kommaghatta, Bhimanakuppe, Ramasagara, Ramasandra, Kenchanapura and others in Bengaluru South taluk, Seegehalli village, Kannalli, Kodigehalli and Manganahalli in Bengaluru North taluk.
With this, BDA can start infrastructure work, including roads and drains.
Suryakiran A.S., spokesperson for NPKL Open Forum, said that this will help improve layout infrastructure while continuity and connectivity will also be achieved across the layout. “As per the High Court verdict, BDA must begin the process soon. However, we fear this will again be delayed due to the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, we appeal to the BDA Commissioner to augment the staff strength of the NPKL Land Acquisition division,” he said.
