BENGALURU: While the BDA has swiftly acquired nearly 2,800 acres of land for the upcoming Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout, completing the acquisition of 1,300 acres for the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout is dragging on endlessly. This delay is affecting plans to put in place infrastructure for the Layout, said a senior BDA official.
A total of 4,043 acres of land have been notified for acquisition for formation of the NPKL Layout, coming up between Mysuru Road and Magadi Road. “Barring 1,300 acres, we are in the process of implementing the compensation awards for the rest. Litigation brought about by farmers unwilling to part with their land for the layout is the main reason for our inability to acquire them,” Deputy Commissioner, Land Acquisition, BDA, A Soujanya told TNIE.
Sharing a break-up, she said 600 acres of land was stuck due to cases filed in the High Court by landowners, who do not want to part with their land. An additional 300 acres are revenue sites (agricultural land converted into non-agricultural, either with or without permission), and so the owner to whom the compensation needs to be paid is a big question mark. A majority of them too have approached the Court.
Of the remaining land, 250 acres are government land, which needs to be transferred to the BDA. “There is no problem here, but the transfer needs to be done by the Revenue Department. A Genuinity Certificate needs to be issued by it. We have written to the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner to facilitate it,” she said, adding that another 150 acres is built-up area and the constructed buildings need to be demolished.
A top official said that the delay in acquisition was having a cascading effect in building roads, drainage system and other infrastructure in the sprawling layout. “Unless steps are taken to expedite the acquisition, how is it possible to set up infrastructure,” he asked.