BENGALURU: The state government informed the High Court on Wednesday that there are an estimated 2.93 lakh (17.49 per cent) unauthorised constructions in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits.
This was stated in the additional objections filed by the state to a batch of petitions, filed by Citizen Forum for Mangaluru Development, challenging the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, launched to regularise unauthorised constructions.
The government told the High Court that BBMP conducted a survey on unauthorised developments, to implement the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Unauthorised development and construction Regulation) Rules-2014.
On examination, it is estimated that there are about 16.75 lakh sites/buildings in the jurisdiction of BBMP. Of which, 13.82 lakh sites/properties come under tax collection net. The tax has been collected every year from 13.82 lakh sites/buildings owners by the BBMP. The remaining 2.93 lakh (17.49 percent) are unauthorised sites/buildings.
The State also informed the court that since the number of unauthorised constructions is huge, a random sample survey was conducted in 2014 in Ward Nos. 56, 72, 80 and 109. A huge number of properties were found to have violated building bye-laws, the government informed the court, adding that it would have been impossible to correct the unauthorised developments without affecting the lives and livelihoods of lakhs of people.
“Therefore, as a one time measure, the state enacted the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and certain other Laws in 2004, to regularise unauthorised constructions where the violation is only to the extent of 50 per cent in case of residential buildings and 25 per cent in case of non-residential buildings,” the state informed the court.
The petitioner argued that the state has given contradictory data with regard to survey of unauthorised constructions and it has also not come out with the similar properties in other towns and cities like in Benglauru. The bench adjourned the the case to Thursday.