Sites: BDA close to striking deal with land losers

BENGALURU: The vexatious issue of compensation to farmers whose properties were notified for acquisition by the BDA for the Arkavathy Layout in Bengaluru North 16 years ago, could well be resolved soon. Around 300 cases filed in courts may also be withdrawn by the farmers. This follows talks between BDA Commissioner H R Mahadev and the farmers at the BDA office on Tuesday.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Mahadev said the talks went on amicably. “We have impressed on them the need to accept 40 per cent of the developed land in Arkavathy Layout itself in lieu of the land acquired from them. They have orally agreed to it and have promised to get back to us in a week’s time.” Going by the outcome of the talks, 300 cases filed against the acquisition will be withdrawn, he added.

According to a senior BDA official, 442 cases pertaining to the Arkavathy Layout are pending against the BDA in courts. “We had acquired 1,806 acres for the formation of the layout of which 600 acres is still stuck in various courts. The final notification was issued in 2004, but later some parcels of land were denotified and another final notification was issued by the BDA in 2014,” he explained.

B K Renuka, a land owner who took part in the talks, said, “The talks went on very positively and most of us are in favour of withdrawing the cases and accepting the developed land. Some of them were in the mood to do so in the past, but passing on our files from the land acquisition to the land allotment section within the BDA took a very long time.” The Commissioner has assured that the process will be expedited and the acquisition department has been given a deadline of 10 days to do so, she said.

“I own 2 acres and 30 guntas of land. The compensation by BDA is not very high if you compare it with what private developers/builders would offer us. However, most of us are willing to accept it. Our lands could neither be sold nor could we cultivate it over the last decade due to the notification and many of us have suffered a lot,” she added.

304 corner sites go under the hammer 
A total of 304 corner sites will be auctioned from Thursday in the second round of e-auction. “We expect a very good response as 27,000 people have already visited the sites to inspect them. The sites will be auctioned between August 6 and August 12,” said BDA Commissioner H R Mahadev.  The registration and other processes were set in motion on July 20.  In the first round of auction, a total of 195 sites were sold and Rs 210.82 crore realised through the sale.