Following large-scale irregularities, the State government on Monday said it will cancel the system of providing alternative sites to those whose lands have been taken away by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for building infrastructure in its layouts without a valid acquisition process.
The decision comes in the wake of an alleged scam. The modus operandi involves hoodwinking land owners into either selling their property or giving general power of attorney and then handing the properties to the BDA for developing roads in its new layouts without the acquisition process. In exchange, the scamsters got alternative sites in old layouts where land prices are high.
Replying to a debate in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru City Development Minister K. J. George said the BDA has been instructed to put an end to the “illegal process.” Stating that 1,631 such alternative sites had been given during the BJP regime from 2008 to 2013, and 373 sites in the present Congress regime, Mr. George said steps were being taken to cancel such earlier allotments.
