The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BDA’s Hi-Tech City notification stayed

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Thursday, Jul 31, 2008
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BDA’s Hi-Tech City notification stayed

Staff Reporter

High Court says BDA does not have the powers to acquire land for industrial purposes

BDA in 2005 sought to acquire 997 acres of land
220 petitioners from 12 villages challenged this

BANGALORE: The Hi-Tech City project in Bangalore, conceived by the State Government to provide world class facilities to the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services, has hit a hurdle with the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday quashing acquisition of 1,070 acres of land for the project saying the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) did not have powers to acquire land for industrial purpose.

The court allowed more than 220 petitions by residents of 12 villages who challenged the acquisition of their lands by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in 2005 for taking up the project.

It quashed acquisition of land for the expressway project adjoining Hi-Tech City.

The petitioners

The petitioners, Brig. K.B. Wadhwan, Manjula Panchapakeshan, Sohra Zaheer, T.G. Narayana Menon, Anil Kumar, Kavitha Vijayaraghavan and 220 others had contended that the BDA had no power to acquire land for industrial purpose.

They had termed as illegal and unconstitutional the BDA notifications acquiring their lands. They had urged the court to quash the acquisitions. The then S.M. Krishna-led Government had proposed the Hi-Tech City at a cost of Rs. 490 crore and an expressway project to boost the IT sector.

The Hi-Tech City was slated to come up on land coming in Begur, Sarjapur and Varthur hoblis between Sarjapur Road and Hosur Road.

The Government had directed the BDA to implement the Hi-Tech City and Expressway projects.

The BDA issued notifications acquiring 35.37 acres of land at Bellandur, 114.27 acres at Kaikondanahalli, 22.16 acres at Doddakanneli, 86.37 acres at Janasandra, 237.30 acres at Kasavanahalli, 160.30 acres at Haralur, 24.29 acres at Parappana Agrahara, 37.17 acres at Naganathapura, 72.37 acres at Doddanagamangala, 17.15 acres at Doddathegur, 15.63 acres at Konappana Agrahara and 175.09 acres at Kudlu.

The BDA has sought to acquire 997.37 acres of land for the Hi-tech City and nearly 75 acres for the 8.5 km, six-lane expressway proposed between Electronics City and Bangalore Airport.

Infrastructure

The Hi-tech City was planned to provide all infrastructure and connectivity facilities to the IT sector, including a bus depot, railway station, international school, five-star hotel, restaurant, exhibition complex and a full-fledged convention centre. The exclusive city was supposed to have its own water recycling plant.

The Legislative Assembly on July 18, 2006 approved the BDA (second amendment) Bill of 2005 to enable the authority to implement the project.

The BDA, on its part, said the preliminary notification for acquisition of lands was issued on August 1, 2003, and final notification on February 14, 2005.

Pilot IT corridor

It said the project was part of the “pilot IT corridor” between Sarjapur Road and Hosur Road.

Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh, in his order, said the acquisition was nothing but an exercise of power by the State. He termed as illegal the BDA action and quashed the acquisition.

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