BENGALURU: The massive hurdles faced by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) site allottees to construct house on plots allotted to them two decades ago in Banashankari VI stage came to the fore during a public grievances meet on Wednesday. The owners said the Forest Department was not permitting them to go ahead with the construction as the Turahalli forest is in its vicinity.
A total of 2006 sites, allotted in 2003-04, have run into trouble with the Forest Department. Giving details, a senior BDA official said the sites were handed over two decades ago. “In 2009, the Forest Department said that a good chuck of the land fell within its limits and it has taken its possession. They fenced the land with a wall too. So, 849 sites were lost in this,” the official said. This includes sites in 3rd, 5th, 4B block and 4 H blocks.
Meanwhile, a few among the remaining allottees had attempted to build houses on their land. However, two years ago, the Forest Department said that many sites fell within 100 metres of its border, which the department calls a buffer zone, and stopped the construction. “A total of 1,157 sites including two civic amenity sites are impacted. The allottees are not being allowed to build houses by the Forest Department whenever they attempt to do so,” he added.
Asked about it, BDA Commissioner Kumar G Naik said the BDA has sent a proposal to the government to ensure the Forest Department fixes the buffer at 30 metres.