InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bengaluru body demolishes ‘illegal’ homes in Saraipalya

Representative AI image BENGALURU: On Thursday around 6 AM, residents of Saraipalya in Thanisandra, north Bengaluru, were awakened by the sound of heavy machinery demolishing their homes. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) executed the demolition on survey numbers 28/1 and 28/2 of Thanisandra village. BDA superintendent K Lakshmi Ganesh informed TOI that approximately 22 “illegal” structures across two acres were taken down, including nine godowns, a car garage, and a furniture shed. Around 12 families were living in the sheds, which are on land designated as BDA property. However, locals reported that over 60 structures were demolished. When questioned about…

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Bengaluru Body Shifts to Apartment Projects for Land Efficiency

BENGALURU: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is shifting its focus towards apartment developments over large plotted layouts, emphasizing enhanced land-use efficiency in urban areas. This shift raises concerns about the future of the BDA’s traditional housing model centered around plots. According to officials, projects comprising apartments facilitate quicker housing delivery and prevent land fragmentation. “While discussions are ongoing and we don’t anticipate an abrupt change, there will be a noticeable trend towards apartments for more efficient land use. Basic housing needs should not always mean a 30×40 plot. We are conscious of the demand for plots, but our priority remains…

Latest StoriesResidential

Bengaluru body urges Gunjur society to form RWA in a week

BENGALURU: Residents of a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) apartment complex in Gunjur, Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency, were shocked to receive a notice requiring them to establish a Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) within a week. The notice, dated December 23, 2025, warned that the BDA would cease maintenance of the complex starting January 1, 2026. Residents must inform the Assistant Executive Engineer (Housing) by December 28, 2025, about their plan to form the RWA. Residents express concern over unfinished construction, including an incomplete compound wall, broken lifts, and unresolved maintenance issues. “Some lifts have been out of service, and the contracted maintenance…

Latest StoriesResidential

Allottees seek amenities, cite design flaws in Kempegowda Layout

File Photo BENGALURU: While the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has expedited work on the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) between Mysuru Road and Magadi Road, residents in III and IV Blocks have raised urgent concerns regarding “critical bottlenecks” that might hinder habitation if not resolved promptly. Allottees appreciate the enhanced pace of land acquisition and development under the current administration; however, they assert that the layout is still not suitable for living. Although several houses are built and more are under construction, foundational issues like inadequate infrastructure and unclear design are becoming significant obstacles. One major issue is the absence of…

Latest StoriesResidential

Buffer Zone Dispute Leaves Bengaluru Site Owners in Limbo

Here’s a rewritten version of the content: BENGALURU: Over 1,500 families who purchased plots in the Banashankari 6th Stage layout, developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), are stuck in limbo for years. A sudden claim by the forest department regarding forest land has halted construction and sales, leaving many unable to develop their properties despite holding valid allotments, tax receipts, and long-standing ownership documents. Established in 2001, Banashankari 6th Stage consists of over 20,500 plots across 14 blocks. The current contention focuses on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th blocks, where the forest department has imposed construction restrictions, asserting that…

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Bengaluru body suggests strict fines for vacant properties

BENGALURU: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is set to implement a one-time 10% non-construction fine for allottees who fail to build homes within three years of receiving their plots. Officials emphasized that the rule will be strictly enforced, with sale deeds not issued until construction is completed. This initiative primarily targets beneficiaries who have either neglected to build homes or engaged in illegal plot transfers, despite significant increases in land values. Notably, Arkavathy and Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) are exempt from this rule due to delays and incomplete infrastructure that hindered construction for allottees. Under the BDA scheme, plots were…

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Bengaluru Engineers Appeal Against RERA ‘Promoter’ Order

BENGALURU: Several engineers from the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) are urging senior officials to contest the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-Rera) order issued on Nov 7, which classifies the agency as a promoter under the Rera Act. However, sources indicate that BDA chairman NA Harris is reluctant to pursue an appeal, causing unrest within the organization. A senior bureaucrat commented, “The engineers are pressing the government to file an appeal to exempt the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) from Rera’s jurisdiction. Their primary concern is straightforward: the BDA has a history of delays. Being under Rera means they will be…

Latest StoriesResidential

BDA Resolves 20-Year Arkavathy Dispute, Allots 784 Sites

Representative AI image 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…

Latest StoriesRera

Karnataka RERA Orders Registration of Delayed Bengaluru Layouts

BENGALURU: In a significant development for homebuyers who have awaited possession of plots for nearly a decade, the Karnataka Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-Rera) has ruled that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) must be classified as a “promoter” under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. K-Rera has instructed the BDA to register the long-overdue Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) within two weeks and to justify why penalty proceedings should not be initiated for selling sites without the necessary Rera registration. The ruling, issued on November 7 by a two-member bench, followed multiple complaints from allottees who claimed that the…

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Bengaluru agency recovers ₹12 crore in encroached BTM Layout land

BENGALURU: On Monday, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) successfully reclaimed a valuable land parcel in BTM 1st Stage, valued at approximately Rs 12.3 crore. Officials reported that unauthorized compounds and sheds were illegally built on BDA property situated in Survey No. 50 of Tavarekere village, Begur Hobli, Bengaluru South taluk. The BDA task force, under the guidance of the executive engineer from the south division and with police assistance, moved to demolish the encroachments. The BDA recovered 6,629 sqft of land. This action is a part of a broader initiative aimed at identifying and reclaiming government and BDA lands that…