BENGALURU: Following an explanation sought by the Lokayukta from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) on whether the earmarking of houses for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) had been done in two prominent housing projects as promised, the Authority has informed that they had not been complied with.
However, unlike the BBMP which has in the past withdrawn the Occupancy Certificate (OC) obtained after furnishing incorrect information, the BDA will not do so.
“This is because of a High Court ruling earlier this year that private builders need not mandatorily make an allocation for EWS,” a top BDA official told TNIE. The BDA inspected both projects and furnished its explanation to the Lokayukta on March 27, a copy of which has just been shared.
The issue boils down to a notification issued by the State government on January 30, 2015, amending the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961 mandating reservation of a minimum of 15% of the gross floor ratio in projects with a gross floor area above 1000 sqm for building houses for the EWS and Lower Income Group (LIG) category.
The Authority had given Partial OC to both Mantri Serenity in Doddakallasandra which was supposed to have 580 flats plus 100 houses for the EWS category in its Tower 4 while the OC for Block 4 and 1 of Sobha Arena in Judicial Layout on Kanakapura Road was to have 657 flats plus 68 for EWS.
Dhananjaya Padmanabhachar, a social activist, who has purchased houses in both these projects sent repeated emails to the BDA Commissioner that the EWS specification had not been honoured by the builders. Due to the lack of response, he lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta on February 22, 2023, on fake information provided to procure the certification.
“It is important that the OC is genuine and has been obtained with the right information provided. Otherwise, the house owners will suffer in future. Hence, I red-flagged the issue,” he explained.
A top BDA official said that the Confederation of Real Estate Development Authority of India (CREDAI) had taken up cudgels on behalf of the builders and challenged the order.
“The High Court delivered a verdict in favour of CREDAI in its order on March 6, 2023, and said the reservation of a portion of land for EWS and LIG cannot be mandated in the case of private builders. Hence, we will not be taking any action against the builders for not providing houses for these categories,” he explained.