After an 18-year wait, the BDA has begun land allotment to farmers and landowners in Bengaluru's Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout. Around 3,200 landowners and farmers received compensation, with 40% of developed land to be allotted.
The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) is investing ₹16,000 crore in the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout, one of the city's major upcoming residential developments. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has urged farmers and landowners who have received compensation not to sell their allotted plots, even if they face financial difficulties. He said the value of the sites could rise significantly in the coming years.
"Hold on to your sites. Their value will grow beyond your wildest expectations in the future," Shivakumar said.
The Chief Minister was speaking on Monday after symbolically distributing land compensation to 3,200 landowners and farmers. The event was organised by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) at UR Rao Bhavan in Nehru Planetarium.
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Three-Year Effort To Distribute Compensation
Shivakumar said the government had been working for the past three years to distribute compensation to landowners and farmers and had also invited applications for the process.
"The process got delayed because of a court stay order. Even when we tried to invite applications for site allotment, the court issued another stay. This has caused the government a loss of ₹1,000 crore every year," he said.
"We had estimated that the BDA would get 55% of the land in the Karanth Layout, but we only got 49%. A private developer might be able to give back 55% as plots. But we have to provide top-class roads and public facilities, so we can only offer 42% as plots. We are giving 40% of the developed land per acre back to the landowners," he added.
The layout is being developed across 3,000 acres. A total of 3 crore square feet of plots are being distributed among 3,886 landowners and 3,500 farmers.
Shivakumar also said the government is raising a loan of ₹26,000 crore to build the Bengaluru Business Corridor, which he said would help ease traffic congestion in the city.
"The old rules say we should pay the old rates for land acquired by BDA. But to ensure farmers don't suffer, we presented the case in the cabinet. We decided to offer several options: double the guidance value as compensation, double the TDR, a 35% commercial plot with FAR, or 40% of developed land. This is the highest compensation offered anywhere in the country.
"Tenders have been called for the Peripheral Ring Road, and work is ongoing up to Kogilu. Once this road is complete, your property value will double," he said.
'Teak Wealth' Scheme
The government is also launching a new scheme to plant at least 1 crore teak saplings every year.
"The government will provide the saplings, and the farmers will have to take care of them. This is a 25-year project. One square foot of teak is worth ₹7,500. Of the profits, 70% will go to the farmers and 30% to the government," Shivakumar explained.
18-Year Wait Ends
BDA Chairman NA Haris said the distribution of compensation marked the end of a long wait for farmers whose land was acquired for the layout.
"Justice has finally been served to the farmers who lost their land and have been waiting for 18 long years. There is no need for farmers to approach any brokers or middlemen. We have set up a transparent system to deliver the plots directly through the BDA. In collaboration with the state's e-Governance department, we have secured all records using software. From now on, it will be impossible to commit fraud like allotting the same site to two different people," he said.
Bengaluru Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, MLAs Muniraju and S.R. Vishwanath, and BDA Commissioner Captain Manivannan were also present at the event.
1 Acre Gets You 9,583 Sq Ft Of Land
As per BDA rules for the Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout, farmers are entitled to 40% of the developed land, or 9,583 sq ft, for every acre acquired from them.
The land in the layout is being utilised as follows: 39.80% for residential plots, 3.78% for commercial activities, 10% for civic amenity sites, 16.66% for parks and open spaces, and 29.70% for roads.
'Highest Compensation In The Country'
“To ensure farmers get a fair deal for BDA land acquisition, we are offering multiple options: double the guidance value, double TDR, a 35% commercial plot, or 40% developed land. This is the highest compensation package in the country.” - DK Shivakumar, Chief Minister
