A view of the Kempegowda Layout, which is lacking in basic facilities.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Only close to 60 plan approvals have been provided at the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) developed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) though the authority has allotted close to 26,000 plots since 2017.
Data accessed by DH shows that nearly eight years since the allotment of sites in the layout, there has hardly been any interest from the owners to build houses, raising concerns on whether the BDA, which claims that its focus is ‘development of Bengaluru in a planned manner, creating quality infrastructure, provision of sites and services and catering to the housing needs of the underprivileged’, has lost its way.
Site allottees at the NPKL pointed out that the BDA had failed to provide basic infrastructure in the layout, which has prevented them from constructing houses.
“We do not even have motorable roads in our layout to transport construction items. How does BDA expect us to construct houses and live there? We can only get temporary power connections and have to depend on borewell water. Even basic infrastructure has not been provided by the BDA,” said A S Suryakiran from the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) Open forum.
He added that even those who have constructed houses are regretting their decision since they are struggling to even reach their houses owing to poor connectivity. Lack of streetlights only adds to the problem.
Yet another site allottee who spoke to DH on condition of anonymity said that the BDA’s failure to provide basic infrastructure only means that the authorities are not concerned about the citizens.
“Now, many of them think of BDA plots as an investment plan rather than a housing opportunity. This clearly shows that BDA has failed in its main objective of providing affordable housing for the middle class and the underprivileged,” he said.
BDA officials, however, said that it was an ongoing project and efforts were made to provide the basic infrastructure.
“Even today, they can construct houses and live in them. We have provided the required infrastructure and support. Works are going on in a few areas since it’s an ongoing project. However, that does not prevent anyone from constructing houses,” said Jayaram N, BDA Commissioner.
Yet another senior BDA official said that they had in fact prioritised areas where constructions had come up and improved the infrastructure there. While BDA claims that at least 70 per cent-80 per cent of the work at the layout is completed, site allottees say they hardly see any progress and only close to 40 per cent-50 per cent of the works have been completed.