BDA To Withdraw The Approval of The Pearl Paradise Layout
The middle-class may be all out in support of the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill to curb corruption, but residents of Pearl Paradise layout, a much-favoured destination of city techies, would be at the receiving end of an inquiry by the Lokayukta. Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde has directed the urban development department/BDA to withdraw the approval of the Pearl Paradise layout in Kempapura.
The Lokayukta, who had taken up an inquiry into alleged encroachments, has recently come out with a report that has put the town planning director in the dock for approving the layout despite violations. The layout, spread over 5 acres and 3 guntas with 59 sites, has about seven to eight houses.
The BDA had approved a residential layout plan on survey numbers 8, 9, 10/1,2,3 of Kempapura village in 2004. The layout plan included lands that were not converted from agriculture to nonagricultural purposes. Subsequently, the developer filled the mouth of the lake with sand; the tank bed was dug to a depth of 5-10 feet, a bund was created by levelling the ground using 400 to 500 lorries of loose earth.
“I have asked the authorities to take action and submit an action taken report. The report should be implemented in its true spirit,” Said Justice Hegde
Located at the mouth of the Bellandur Lake, once a pristine water body in Bangalore east at the backyard of the old airport, Pearl Paradise layout — strategically situated in the IT corridor — was developed by allegedly encroaching upon the tank-bed area. Oblivious to the wrongdoings by the developers, several techies bought the sites at a launch price of Rs 400/sqft in 2004. The software boom gradually pushed the property rate in the layout to Rs 2,000/sq ft over the years.
“We did not know anything about the encroachments when we purchased sites here. I took a bank loan and constructed a three-storey building and have let a few houses on rent. Majority of the site owners are software engineers who postponed their plans of house construction after the recession. The developers had told us that the layout development is as per law,” says Madhavan a resident in Pearl Paradise layout.
The irregularity came to the notice of the former A T Ramaswamy Committee on government land encroachments in 2007 when the members went to inspect Bellandur Lake. The issue reached Lokayukta’s office who asked clarifications from the agencies concerned. According to BDA’s statement, only four acres were converted and the developer had included the lake bed area in the plan that was approved.
“It is necessary to withdraw the approval given to the layout plan to put an end to such irregular and improper plans. Otherwise, such plans will set a bad precedent to the developers to approach the BDA. Plans have been approved, without verifying the records and relevant laws,” said Justice Hegde in his inquiry report. Further, BDA’s town planning member (TPM) in 2004 H B Mukunda, who now heads the state town planning department, had approved the layout plan. “This is not expected of a public servant occupying such a position. Mukunda has totally ignored the requirements of the law and has misled BDA,” the report said.
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