Karnataka: HDK allots stray BDA sites

Bangalore, Sep 5: Less than a month before transferring power to the BJP, Kumaraswamy has allotted 45 BDA sites under the G category to his staff working at his office and his official residence.

According to the 1997 government notification, the G category stray sites have to be allotted to strictly those in "public service.'' But it comes with a rider: "as may be directed by the government.''

However, his order may have to be 'stayed' as the BDA has run out of stray sites and any fresh allotment will have to be made in the upcoming new layouts. In the last 15 months, the BDA had allotted 127 G-category sites. Last week it received a diktat about these 45 sites.

The BDA has already overshot the quota as only 30% of the stray sites can be given away under the 'G' category. BDA commissioner M K Shankaralinge Gowda told TOI: "We just got the list of names and didn't have any other details. We don't know who they are. We deliberated on the issue at Monday's board meeting and have decided to write back to the government on non-availability of stray sites. Moreover, the order doesn't state anything on the dimensions of sites to be given. We have more than 400 orders for allotments but have run out of stray sites. The government should declare more stray sites, only then we can accommodate the demand.''

While majority of the stray site allottees are politicians, the others are government officials especially those in the CM's first circle of officers, film actors, sports persons and those without defined profiles. Not only do these "privileged'' people jump the queue, they want big dimension sites in upmarket areas where the real estate price is booming — HSR layout, RMV extension, Banashankari OMBR, Koramangala, Indiranagar etc.

Soon after he took over as CM, it was the same Kumaraswamy who had put on hold all the 1,435 government orders of stray site allotments issued since 1994. This was to check the credentials of the site allottees. He had also promised that he would not allot any sites under G category. But now he seems to have forgotten that promise.

OneIndia News
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