BENGALURU: While the sites at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) are supposed to be handed over to allottees in another five months, work seems to be moving at a snail’s pace, apparently due to the theft of construction materials. Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials in the progress report told the allottees that the reason for the delay is the theft of raw materials like wires, cement blocks and other items. They are also asking them to start moving in, so that the items are safe guarded and work can be completed within the stipulated time.
As per RERA guidelines, the BDA has to complete the work on the layout and hand it over to allottees in five months. But the progress reports shows the execution of works under two packages by three separate companies is below par. Under Package-1 (executed by L&T constructions), 66 per cent of utility duct creation has been completed and under package-2 (being executed by SPML and ACL) 45 per cent has been executed.
Also, 43 per cent UGD and 23 per cent fresh water lines have been laid under Phase-1 and 34 per cent and nine per cent, respectively, in the second phase. “Under each phase, 5,000 sites are to be created. We paid the full amount five years ago and we are still waiting for the sites. They should have installed CCTV cameras and deployed security guards to man the area. It is very clear that BDA is once again postponing the execution of the project, not realising the rising cost,” Sham Jujare S, allottee and member of NPKL Progressive Front.
A senior BDA official, seeking anonymity, explained, “We have been trying to finish the layout for 10 years. Apart from dealing with the issue of offering adequate compensation for land acquisition, the Covid-induced lockdown and the theft of raw materials is delaying it. There is no dearth of funds to complete the works. Once water and UGD pipelines are laid, we can lay the roads. We are requesting the citizens to stay in the layout, so that we can complete the works parallelly, but they are not agreeing to it.”