BENGALURU: Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the allottees in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) whose sites were quietly taken away by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to build two mega Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) a couple of years ago. The BDA has finally decided to allot alternate sites to these 20x30 sq ft site owners this week.
Without even a notification, a total of 65 sites falling in Challaghatta and Bheemanakuppe villages (Block V and VI) were taken away by the BDA to build the STP. These plants, planned in different locations in these Blocks earlier, were relocated there after objection from localites.
BDA Secretary V Ananda assured The New Indian Express that the process of providing alternate sites had been completed. “A total of 65 allottees in Block V and VI in the Layout had lost their sites because of the STP. We had already given sites to 36 site losers nearly two months ago. The remaining 29 will be given the sites in a couple of days through a randomisation system that will take place in the BDA Chairman’s office within two days. They will be given sites in the same Block they were allotted earlier,” he said. Commissioner Rajesh Gowda said he had already given the “in principle” move to provide alternate sites to those impacted.
It was sheer agony for the individuals who lost their sites as they were allotted after multiple attempts. Sham Jujare, member of NPKL Progressive Forum, a group of site allottees, said, “Due to opposition from landlords and localites worried about the foul smell and discharge from the STPs, the originally planned venue for the sites was shifted to these locations. We have been repeatedly asking BDA to render justice to them.”
60-year-old Nataraj, a retired Defence employee, who got one in his seventh attempt, told TNIE, “I had used my retirement savings and took a bank loan to buy the site for Rs 10.5 lakh in November 2018. By March 2019, I registered it and got the khata too. When I made a visit, I found all infra work had stopped and an STP was being built. I have gone to the BDA office many times and only got oral assurances about it. When will I get my site and when can I begin construction work?”he asked.
Ananth Kumar, a sales executive in a private firm said he was allotted the site under the EWS category and paid over Rs 5 lakh for it. “I registered my site in February 2020 but got to know later from others that my site has been taken away. No one from BDA gave me any intimation. I kept visiting the case worker seeking justice.”