BENGALURU: Among the many demands raised by land losers of Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout, a key demand was a reduction in the fee for sites being allotted to them. Following consultations with local legislators and farmers, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has substantially reduced the site allotment fees for landowners in the layout and other applicable BDA layouts.
In a revised notification issued on September 1, the BDA fixed the charges at Rs 20 per sqft, withdrawing its earlier notification issued in July. The revised rates will apply from September 1.
Under the new structure, a 20x30 sqft site will cost Rs 12,000, while 30x40 sqft, 30x50 sqft, 40x60 sqft and 50x80 sqft sites will cost Rs 24,000, Rs 30,000, Rs 48,000 and Rs 80,000, respectively. The rates include application, registration, sewerage system development and one-time administrative charges.
The earlier revised notification had fixed the total charges at Rs 29,500 for a 20x30 site, Rs 59,500 for a 30x40 site, Rs 1.19 lakh for a 40x60 site and Rs 1.99 lakh for a 50x80 site, essentially meaning that the charges were around Rs 50 per sqft.
The BDA said the earlier revision was based on rising construction, development, fuel, salary, legal and land costs, as well as expenses involved in providing modern amenities.
The revised notification also addresses residual land entitlement. If more than 300 sqft remains after allotment, the BDA will provide an additional 20x30 site after collecting the applicable amount. If the balance is below 300 sqft, the authority will pay the landowner its equivalent value. The decision followed a consultation with Karanth Layout farmers and local legislators on August 31.
Speaking to TNIE, M Ramesh Ramagondanahalli, Bengaluru district co-ordinator of Dalit Sangharsha Samiti and a land loser, said, “While we welcome the government’s move, this is only one among several demands we have placed before it.
The government must consider all applications submitted to the Justice A V Chandrashekhar committee (JCC) and issue regularisation certificates for eligible buildings, while also providing documents for buildings that were not submitted to the committee. Farmers’ objections to allotted sites should be considered, among other demands.”
