The state government has decided to put the revised Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) - 2031, before the public once again, to gather further suggestions and objections.
After the winter session, the government will sign the final draft papers. Thereafter, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will make the document public.
“Since the number of objections received were too high - over 14,000 - the BDA and the government have taken a decision to incorporate fresh objections from people and finalise the CDP - 2031. The final draft is ready, and with the government order, a notification will be made. Public will be given 60 days time to make suggestions, after which, the CDP - 2031 will be sent to the government for approval,” a senior BDA official told DH.
At the last BDA board meeting, the government checked the status of the four-and-a-half-month deadline it had set to complete the entire exercise and finalise CDP - 2031. Now, the government is in no mood to compromise, as the last CDP - 2015 did not go through the complete procedure, and had many loopholes, the official noted.
The BDA had set one month to finalise the draft, two months to review the objections and revise the draft, and another one month kept aside to finalise the master plan and submit it to the government for the final seal.
The BDA official said that the government was keen for an October release, but at that time, the draft was not yet finalised.
He pointed out that the majority of objections were requesting to change land use from residential to commercial. “This came as a shock to us because during public discussions, people from many areas like Jayanagar, Indiranagar, Koramangala and even Whitefield, had said that there is a lot of commercialisation or mixed zones. They demanded residential areas to be redefined. People have also demanded for road-widening in most areas to make way for commercial activities. Objections have also been raised on zoning regulations. Genuine objections have been incorporated,” he said.
The BDA, meanwhile, maintained that they are maintaining 75 m as the buffer zone around lakes and waterbodies as per the National Green Tribunal guidelines. “Until the court orders any changes, we are not changing anything. The government is yet to appeal to the NGT. The CDP also includes the Peripheral Ring Road and the elevated corridors,” the official added.