Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had taken contradictory stands over the same piece of land during the preliminary notification for the Arkavathi Layout in 2003 and when the re-modified scheme was finalised recently, according to documents.
Documents indicate violation of the 2005 Karnataka High Court order that laid down six guidelines for cancelling notification of land and directed the BDA to consider the status of land pre-2003.
Spot inspection BDA mahajar (spot inspection) reports of 2003 and 2006 indicating the status of land then and a note on exclusion of the same piece of land during the re-modified scheme, offer a study in contrast. An acre of land belonging to Munikempanna (survey no. 37-3) in Dasarahalli village has been excluded from the re-modified scheme citing that there were nine RCC and AC sheet houses on the land before 2003. However, the land was ‘empty’ according to the BDA’s spot inspection report of 2006. Two acres and 19 guntas of land of Edward Rodricks (survey no. 31/5) in K. Narayanapura village has been excluded from the new scheme citing that there were six RCC houses before 2003. However, the 2003 BDA mahajar report records the land as ‘unoccupied’.
Documents show that one of the guidelines that allows landowners to petition the BDA for exclusion if their adjoining land is excluded has been violated often. According to guidelines, landowners have to produce documents substantiating their contention.
Notification cancelled However, BDA officials have cancelled notification of large tracts of land whose adjoining land was excluded on the grounds that they satisfy any of the other five guidelines. There have been several instances where the excluded land has not satisfied any other guideline but has been excluded solely on the grounds that the adjoining land was excluded.
For example, a 2-acre land of Lakshmamma (survey no. 78/1) was excluded as all the adjoining land was excluded. However, the 2006 BDA report records that the land is empty and states that it does not satisfy any of the six guidelines for exclusion.
