Five years after being allotted sites in the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), owners are anxious about paying a hefty fine for not constructing houses on time, thanks to a BDA clause in their agreements.
“We were snapped with a Lease Cum Sale Agreement (LCSA) when the site was registered,” said Dr Padma Prasad from NPKL Progressive Front.
“According to the construction clause, we have to finish construction within five years from the date of registration. However, the BDA has so far not provided us with even the basic amenities to undertake construction,” she added.
Site owners ask authorities to relax the clause or keep the five-year count after the BDA provides the basic infrastructure. Although the first phase of allotment happened in 2016, the construction clause will apply to many in 2022.
Site owners said they had been ready to construct the house if the BDA had provided the infrastructure. “We do not have an approach road to transport construction materials. How do they expect us to begin construction?” Dr Padma said.
Plan approval
Another site owner said the BDA did not cooperate in giving plan approval. “Many of the site owners who have applied for a plan sanction have now been asked to file an affidavit saying they will bear the responsibility of availing power supply, water connection, and such other basic amenities. The BDA is trying to push its responsibility on to the owners,” said A S Suryakiran from the NPKL Open Forum.
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner Rajesh Gowda said the plan approval should not be a complex procedure. “If there are any such issues, I will ask our officials to look into them and rectify them,” he said.
Acknowledging that the BDA had received requests to relax the construction clause, Gowda said they are reviewing the request and the owners could expect a positive response soon.