Bengaluru: There are an estimated 2.93 lakh (17.49 per cent) unauthorised constructions in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, informed the State government to the High Court on Wednesday, October 2.
This was stated in the additional objections filed by the state to a batch of petitions, filed by Citizen Forum for Mangaluru Development, challenging the Akrama-Sakrama scheme, launched to regularise unauthorised constructions. The State government also informed the High Court that BBMP conducted a survey on unauthorised developments, to implement the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Unauthorised development and construction Regulation) Rules-2014.
As many as 16.75 lakh sites/buildings are present in the jurisdiction of BBMP. Around 13.82 lakh sites/properties come under tax collection net, from which tax has been collected every year by the BBMP. The remaining 2.93 lakh (17.49 percent) are unauthorised sites/buildings.
A random sample survey was conducted in 2014 in Ward Nos. 56, 72, 80 and 109 as the number of unauthorised constructions is huge. As many of the constructions had violated building bye-laws, it would impossible to correct the unauthorised developments without affecting the lives and livelihoods of lakhs of people. Therefore, as a onetime measure, the state enacted the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and certain other Laws in 2004, to regularise unauthorised constructions where the violation is only to the extent of 50 per cent in case of residential buildings and 25 per cent in case of non-residential buildings, the State informed the High Court.
The State has given contradictory data regarding the unauthorised constructions, argued the petitioner. The High Court adjourned the case to Thursday.
