BENGALURU: Buyers of pricey sites in many Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) layouts are staring at a no-win situation.
Given the poor state of amenities, they don’t feel like building their dream homes on these sites.
At the same time, they can’t let the sites remain vacant as they will be charged hefty fines for the same.
The latest round of the steep property tax hike is a double whammy of sorts for BDA plot owners as it comes along with a sharp rise in vacant site penalty.
According to BDA, the penalty for not constructing houses on the sites within the stipulated time (usually three years from the day of registration) has been increased by 30% or more.
But plot owners say they can build a house on their plot only after a layout gets its due amenities and the BDA penalty is unconstitutional when there are no roads and water and sanitary connections.
Residents say many layouts have not seen any kind of development and some are still under litigation.
Sir M Visveshwaraiah Layout 2nd Stage is one among them and many of those wanting to build houses aren’t even getting approvals to go ahead with the same.
Uma Maheshwari, 59, a resident of Banashankari I Stage and a government employee wonders why she should pay a penalty when there is not even a road to reach her property in Nadaprabhu Kempegwoda Layout.
According to her, the 30 ft by 40 ft site was allotted to her in the fifth block.
“For five years there has been no change.
I hoped to spend my retired life in a house built there, but now I doubt if even my son can live there…,” she said.
“Forget basic facilities, we don’t even have a road to reach the place.
Why should we pay a penalty, considering they are unable to provide us with even basic infrastructure to build a house,” she asked.
A senior BDA official said: “Site owners in Arkavathi Layout have been exempted from the penalty but the rest will have to pay.” Asked if it would be applicable to those deprived of basic access to their sites, the official said, “Yes, there are a lot of people in developed areas, who haven’t constructed houses on these sites, but are planning to sell them off once the facilities are provided.” The official said it’s a onetime penalty and will be collected during khata transfer or while granting approval to construct a house.
Rajesh Gowda, commissioner BDA, was neither available for comment, nor responded to messages from TOI.