Amenities at Kempegowda Layout a distant dream

Y Maheswara Reddy | NT

There seems to be no end to the woes of people who have bought sites in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout. Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) allotted sites in the layout in November 2016 and 2018.

The BDA had received 9,000 applications seeking allotment of sites in the first phase of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout in June 2016 and it allotted 5,000 sites to the applicants in the first phase. The BDA had again invited applications for the allotment of sites in 2018. Around 12,000 people had applied for sites and the BDA managed to allot another 5,000 sites to the applicants. Out of the total 23,000 sites, the BDA has allotted 9,000 sites to farmers who gave land for the formation of the layout and 2,000 sites as alternative sites for those who failed to get sites at Arkavathy Layout. As of now, the BDA is yet to find buyers for 2,000 sites of different dimensions.

With no infrastructure in place at the layout, many people who got sites allotted in 2016 or in 2018 could not build their dream homes. The site allottees ended up paying rent for houses where they live and also paying equal monthly instalments along with interest.

According to the plan, the BDA had to complete the infrastructural and developmental works at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout by March 2018 but failed to honour its commitment. The Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Karnataka, had fixed December 2021 as the second deadline for completion of the infrastructural developmental works at the layout but the BDA failed to meet this deadline too.

The allottees were delighted when the BDA chairman announced an allocation of Rs 650 crore for the completion of pending works. Many meetings were held to review the progress of ongoing developmental works, but all in vain. Most of the works remain incomplete.

“All the ongoing developmental works have come to a standstill. Construction of manholes, installation of electric poles and asphalting works are pending. Except for the construction of ground level reservoir (GLR) and sewage treatment plant (STP), all other works have stopped,’’ said Ashok M, secretary of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Open Forum, adding that the allottees want the BDA to increase men, machines and material immediately and carry-on validation inspection.

Recently, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, while replying to a query by Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar in the Assembly, clarified that L&T Construction Private Limited and SPMLIL – Amrutha Construction Pvt Ltd are assigned to provide basic amenities such as drinking water, underground drainage, supply of treated water, utility ducts and power supply.

The chief minister said that the BDA Board meeting took the decision to appoint a bureau of veritas to verify the variation proposal. The variation proposal was made as some more areas were added to the land to be developed. In his reply, the chief minister has said that BDA had allotted 9971 sites but not a single building was constructed.

The chief minister said that the BDA had spent Rs 737.10 crore for the ongoing developmental works and it needs another Rs 1,542.91 crore to complete all pending works.

COST OF SITE
20x30 sqft (EWS) - 5.23 lakh
20x30 sqft (General) - 10.46 lakh
30x40 sqft - 23.25 lakh
40x60 sqft - 52.31 lakh
50x80 sqft - 96.87 lakh

‘EMIs, rent weighing down site recipients’
Surya Kiran AS (Spokesperson, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout Open Forum.)

Government and BDA statement on Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout infrastructure work completion is practically impossible by the end of this year, since variation quantity 3rd party validation will take a minimum of three months. After validation by the BDA board, GoK must approve it within 1-2 months. Post final approval, contractors require a month or two in order to procure the required materials and work can’t be executed in the monsoon season. Therefore, full-fledged work can only start in 2023.

Instead of fulfilling its promises, the government compensates the losses each site owner is facing. For six years, a majority of site owners have been paying site loans on EMI, rent for current occupation and the additional burden of material cost due to cost escalation from when the construction began. The root of these issues is the delay in completion of infrastructural works.

The reason for delay in work is that the departments concerned of the BDA have not received required approvals to be able to execute works. For example, the utility channel, UGD manhole, is stuck with variation quantity third party due to pending approval. Electrification networking is incomplete due to pending approvals of temporary electrification work. Until the UGD is completed, the work of asphalting roads below 18m can’t