Finally, 5,000 BDA sites up for grabs

BENGALURU: After a long gap of 10 years, the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has finally planned to carve out at least 5,000 sites from Kempegowda layout and allot them to citizens of Bengaluru.

It may be a Ganesha and Gowri festival bonus to the citizens of Bengaluru as the notification will be issued by the government by Mid September. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, BDA engineer P. N. Nayak said that the price of the site per square foot is likely to range from Rs 880 to Rs. 2,400, not including registration charges.

Since the BDA had to shell out a huge compensation for the farmers to acquire land for the layout formation, the BDA cannot sell sites at a lower price. Besides, BDA incurs expenses on layout formation along with other civic amenities like roads, drains, sanitary and electricity service, said sources in BDA.

The files have been sent to the Urban Development Department for approval. Once the approval is obtained, the BDA will issue a notification inviting applications from the public. Priority will be given for those who have made maximum attempts for a site for the previously formed layouts. Those who lost out on a chance at Arkavathy layout can apply, he said. Those from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), whose income does not exceed Rs 11,800 per month, can apply for 20x30 ft. dimension sites.

For them, the BDA charges just Rs 850 per sq. ft. However, they have to provide a proof of income certificate. For general section sites with 50x80 ft. dimension sites, the price will be Rs 2,415 per sq. ft, said sources.

The BDA will allot sites under nine categories for eligible applicants. The general public will get 50 per cent of the sites formed, while handicapped and backward tribes will get two per cent of the sites formed. 10 per cent of the sites will be earmarked for defence personnel or ex-service men.

It may be recalled that BDA’s ambitious plan to allot 20,000 sites to citizens at Arkavathy Layout by acquiring 3,750 acres of land at North Bengaluru ran into rough weather due to the indiscriminate denotification of land. The BDA could allot just 8,813 sites.

BBMP Pushes for hike in property tax

The financial health of the BBMP has improved significantly in the last five months with the efforts of BBMP Administrator T.M. Vijay Bhaskar’s reforms in tax collection and keeping a tab on unnecessary wasteful expenditure.

BBMP sources said that the Administrator has written to the government to revise the property tax, which has not been done for the last five years. Revising property tax by 10 to 15 per cent will automatically increase the property collection by at least Rs 400 crore. The BBMP is awaiting the government’s consent on the same.

Besides, bringing 39,000 new properties under the tax net has augmented the BBMP financial position. Despite losing one-and-a-half months for BBMP polls and caste census, the Palike has collected Rs 160 crore more from the corresponding period last year. The BBMP has set a target of Rs 2,500 crore and so far Rs 1,320 crore has been collected. It will be done for the year 2015-16 until April next year.

Cracking the whip against the property tax evaders, validating properties whose owners had given wrong assessment to cheat on BBMP have helped the BBMP to earn good revenue, added sources.
The BBMP has cleared the dues of streetlight contractors, cleared pending bills of civil and garbage contractors and also repaying the loans periodically. This system should be carried forward to further enhance the financial health of the BBMP, said sources.