HC seeks report from BDA on Arkavati Layout

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to submit a report on how it had implemented the Supreme Court’s 2010 directions for deleting or including land parcels from amongst the land that was originally identified for acquisition in 2003 for the formation of Arkavati Layout.

Justice Vineet Kothari issued the direction on a petition filed by H.B. Shivaram and others questioning the final notification issued in 2014 by the BDA acquiring their land in Hebbal village.

The court also directed the BDA to demonstrate the methodology adopted and the reasons given based on the apex court’s directions in relation to either acquiring or deleting parcels of land situated in isolated pockets in Hebbal-Kempapura.

Pointing out that several land parcels were dropped from acquisition saying they were not useful for formation of the layout in a continuous manner, the petitioners have claimed that the BDA’s land acquisition officer had in 2012 concluded that their plots were in isolated pockets and, hence, recommended their exclusion from the acquisition process. However, the BDA and the government issued a notification in June 2014 acquiring their land for formation of the layout without considering their objection in terms of the apex court’s directions.