The Hindu : Front Page : BDA allots land meant for park to hostel

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BDA allots land meant for park to hostel

Afshan Yasmeen

It is in violation of norms: commissioner Siddaiah

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

DISPUTE: Construction work is in progress on the leased land near Mahalakshmi Layout in Bangalore on Friday.

Bangalore: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which is taking action to recover all its encroached property, has violated its own rules by leasing prime property in Mahalakshmi Layout to a religious trust.

The property in contention is the Anjanadri hillock, popularly called “Kengal Gudda”. The BDA, which had earmarked this property for a park in the area’s layout plan and in the Comprehensive Development Plans (CDP) for 2001 and 2011, has changed the land use of this property as “residential” in its recent Master Plan 2015. The property is worth at least Rs. 50 crore now.

The BDA had first leased this 4.6-acre land to the Kengal Hanumanthaiya Hostel (KHH) Trust in 1982 to construct a students’ hostel within two years on the rocky portion and develop a park on the remaining land.

This was done despite the objection raised by the then BDA Town Planning member that the area was meant for a park.

In 2004, the BDA cancelled the lease and resolved to take the property back “as the trust failed to adhere to the lease conditions.”

The resolution, made on August 18, 2004, stated “the BDA would develop it as a park and maintain it till it is transferred to the [then] Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.”

The KHH Trust took the BDA to court and appealed to the then H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Government to get the lease renewed.

On December 26, 2006, the Urban Development Department directed the BDA “to reconsider” its decision to withdraw the property from the trust.

This forced the BDA to “bend its own rules and renew the lease” on July 5, 2007, for 30 years, BDA sources said.

Meanwhile, the KHH Trust merged with the Sri Adichunchungiri Education Trust, which intends to construct a hostel for poor students on the land.

The Senior Citizens’ Vedike of Mahalakshmi Layout and the area legislator N.L. Narendra Babu, who have been fighting to get the land developed into a park, have appealed to the BDA to revoke its decision.

BDA Commissioner H. Siddaiah admitted that the allotment violated norms.

“I have asked my officials to study the file again,” he told The Hindu.

The seer of Adichunchungiri Math, Balagangadharanath Swamy, alleged that some persons were demanding money from the trust “to stop complaining”.

“We have paid Rs. 4.5 crore to the BDA for the land. The hostel will house 500 girl students,” he said.

On the alleged violation, he said: “It is for the BDA to decide.”

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