“Let us perform surgery on BDA (Bangalore Development Authority)” to bring it back on track is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had to say when the question raised by N. Cheluvarayaswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular) on BDA functioning came up during question hour in the Legislative Assembly here on Tuesday.
This statement assumes significance in the wake of the controversy surrounding the BDA with regard to Arkavathi layout land denotification in the recent days. Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy questioned whether the BDA stuck to its functions of creating layouts, distributing sites and involved itself in the systematic development and growth of Bengaluru city.
Mr. Siddaramaiah in his reply said that under the BDA approvals had been given to as many as 207 residential extensions and 290 other development plans. Works such as outer ring roads, flyovers, junction improvement were being taken up by the BDA at several locations. A plan to prepare a comprehensive development plan-2031 too was underway, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
The BDA had distributed 10,000 sites at the Banashankari 6th stage in the year 2002, 5,000 sites at Banashankari and Anjanapura in the same year and 10,000 sites at Sir M. Visvesvaraya layout in 2003, he said. Barring the case of 72 acres and 30 guntas of land at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Layout and Banashakari 6th stage, which was in court, there was no problem with other lands.
Courts
Replying to a question by C.T. Ravi (BJP), Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, T.B. Jayachandra said that existing law was being amended to fill vacant posts in the courts in keeping with the Supreme Court order. Measures were underway to fill 172 posts of civil judges and afterwards the issue of promoting judges would be taken up. The issue of appointing district judges too would be addressed and situation would certainly improve in two months, Mr. Jayachandra said.
