BENGALURU: In a long-awaited resolution to one of its most contentious issues, the BDA on Monday allocated 784 alternative plots in the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) to allottees from the Arkavathy Layout who lost their sites due to land denotification and reallocation.
The allotment, which utilized a computerized randomization process at the BDA headquarters, took mere minutes to complete, marking the end of a two-decade struggle for many beneficiaries.
Officials stated that this initiative aimed to provide long-delayed relief to allottees awaiting resolution since 2005-06. “We have allocated 784 sites at once to resolve a longstanding issue that dates back nearly 20 years,” commented BDA chairperson NA Haris. “People have been seeking help for decades, and we aimed to bring closure. The process is now streamlined—beneficiaries will no longer need to make repeated visits. We are also setting up a special counter to expedite the processing of sale deeds, khatas, and related formalities.”
According to the BDA, the alternative sites were allotted in place of unclaimed or unpossessed plots in Arkavathy Layout, ensuring fairness through a transparent randomization system that considered various site dimensions based on entitlement. This decision follows a directive from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for the BDA to submit all registration documents within three weeks and temporarily halt marketing or selling NPKL sites. Addressing this concern, Haris asserted, “There are no legal issues with the allotment. We will manage any correspondence with RERA as per the standard official procedures.”
Homebuyers received this announcement positively. Sridhar, president of the NPKL Forum, remarked, “This redistribution of Arkavathy sites is legally valid under the BDA Act, 1976. The authority is compensating those affected by previous irregularities, as directed by the high court and state government. Many who experienced fraud or were denied rightful allotments have finally found justice. It’s a corrective measure that restores faith in the system.”
Initiated in 2003, the Arkavathy Layout project has faced numerous legal challenges, court orders, and government denotifications over the years. Spanning 17 villages in Bengaluru East and Yelahanka, the layout consists of 8,813 plots, of which approximately 5,000 have been allocated thus far. Technical obstacles, including changes in layout plans, road alignments, and drainage formations, led the BDA to revoke several allotments, resulting in delays for thousands of beneficiaries until now.
