Bangalore Development Authority’s corner site slicing scam rears head again

While the body may have lost over Rs 2 crore due to this, Superintendent of the BDA Task Force was ordered to hold an inquiry into the issue 10 days ago.
Bangalore Development Authority
Bangalore Development Authority

BENGALURU: The shrewdness of a group of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials to slice two corner sites in the pricey HSR Layout and sell them by creating bogus documents, has recently come to light. The Authority may have lost over Rs 2 crore due to this. Superintendent of the BDA Task Force was ordered to hold an inquiry into the issue 10 days ago.

The sites in question are 290/b and 66/1, both of which fall in Sector 7 of HSR Layout. The main perpetrators in the scam belong to the office of the Deputy Secretary (I) BDA. Corner sites, which are always in demand, cannot be sold by the Authority.

Former Deputy Secretary Dr Harish Naik (who was recently transferred and made Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Chikaballapur), Superintendent Ashwath and caseworker Manjunath have allegedly been involved in creating bogus Correct Dimension (CD) reports for these new sites (known as intermediate sites) without the knowledge of the BDA Commissioner, said sources familiar with the issue.

“The sites were registered in names of two different individuals at the sub-registrar’s office on August 1,” said a BDA official. “Corner sites are money spinners for the Authority as they are offered to the highest bidder via an auction process. Even the base price for the auction is very high,” he said.

Another official said that the cost per square foot in HSR is Rs 13,000, and 15 per cent more if it’s a corner sites. While Public Relations Officer Mahesh Kumar confirmed that the 290/b site, running into 1,225 sq feet, was registered in the name of one Ramesh Kumar, he was unable to provide the name of the person in whose name the second site 66/1, measuring 1,200 sq ft, was registered.  

“Agents (brokers) have facilitated the process by ensuring these sites are given as exchange to landowners who have handed over their sites for development of layouts. They are entitled to alternative BDA sites. The sites are later registered in the name of new owners,” said a source.

When contacted, Naik denied any wrongdoing on his part. He told TNIE that he did not remember which file was being referred to, as he was not with the BDA anymore. Ashwath claimed that he did not know anything except that the sites were “intermediate sites”, and that only caseworker Manjunath knew the details. Manjunath could not be contacted.

Scam that never went away

‘Corner cutting’ was supposed to be rampant in the BDA during former commissioner Sham Bhatt’s term from 2012 to 2015, wherein many corner sites were said to have been sliced and disposed off by BDA officials via agents. The illegal activity saw a decline till mid-2019 when former commissioner Rakesh Singh was in charge. He is said to have issued an internal order warning all officials against any such malpractice.

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