The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bengaluru): The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is set to acquire 300 acres of land in the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), located in the western part of Bengaluru, bridging the area between Magadi Road and Mysuru Road. This acquisition, pending for over a decade since its announcement in 2010, aims to address the layout’s connectivity and continuity challenges. The move follows a recent High Court decision which upheld the acquisition process but mandated specific conditions for the BDA to follow.
The land in question had been embroiled in legal disputes due to the emergence of revenue sites within the designated area. The BDA’s initiative to proceed with the acquisition comes after a period of uncertainty regarding compensation for the landowners affected by the development. These landowners had taken their grievances to the High Court, leading to a consolidated hearing of their petitions.
In its ruling, the High Court stipulated that the owners of the revenue sites must register for allotment under the BDA (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984, within three months from the date of the judgment, with the initial deposit requirement waived. It directed the BDA to prioritize the allotment of a standard 30 X 20 feet site to each registered landowner in the NPKL at the current rates of allotment.
To comply with the court’s orders, the BDA has advised eligible landowners to obtain a registration form from Canara Bank at the BDA headquarters and complete their allotment registration by May 23. The initial notifications for the layout’s development were first issued in 2008, with the final notification in 2010, targeting land across several villages within the Bengaluru North and South taluks.
This development paves the way for the BDA to commence infrastructure projects, including road and drainage systems, across the NPKL. Suryakiran A.S., a spokesperson for the NPKL Open Forum, expressed optimism that this would significantly improve the layout’s infrastructure. However, concerns remain about potential delays due to the impending Lok Sabha elections and the Model Code of Conduct. The forum has called on the BDA Commissioner to bolster the workforce of the NPKL Land Acquisition division to expedite the process.
