Owners protest against BDA acquiring land

BANGALORE, JUNE 13. The residents of Thanisandra, Vidyasagara, Dasarahalli, and 13 other villages on Sunday lodged their protest against the acquisition of their properties for the proposed Arkavati Layout by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

Hundreds of protestors, under the auspices of Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti, gathered at Kempanna Complex on Thanisandra Main Road. The villagers expressed their anguish over the manner in which the notices of acquisition had been issued by the BDA. They alleged that the BDA had gone for acquisition of the properties in the developed villages such as Thanisandra and Vidyasagara. It was not looking at the plain lands of Bellahalli and Kolilu, they said. The protesters said the BDA had gone back on the promise to allot sites to all house owners affected by acquisition. The BDA, they alleged, had now said that sites would be allotted only to those owners who possessed sale deed and not to those who held the General Power of Attorney (GPA).

They wanted the Government to regularise the houses constructed in the area coming under the proposed layout. Farmers need to be given market rate for their land, the protesters said. The samiti passed a resolution containing all the grievances and took signatures of 3,000 participants. The copies of the resolution will be presented to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh and the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, on Monday. "We are not against the proposed layout. But we want the Government and the BDA to have a look at our problems," Shivakumar, a member of the Samiti, said.