BDA renews efforts to collect betterment fees in Bengaluru, targets principal of over ₹3,000 crore
The Hindu
BDA intensifies collection of ₹3,000 crore betterment fees from Bengaluru landowners, facing potential penalties for non-payment.
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has renewed efforts to collect betterment charges from land ‘notified and later left out’ from the layout scheme in 22 layouts it has developed in Bengaluru. BDA has been trying to mop up over ₹3000 crore in betterment charge from these properties for a decade now, but has failed to collect the money.
On February 25, BDA issued a public notice in this regard. Sources in BDA said the board may move ahead with stern measures, like demolitions and auction properties of owners who fail to pay the fee.
Efforts to collect betterment fee in these layouts started in 2015. Then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced a scheme to regularise ‘encroachment of BDA land’ in lieu of betterment fee of nearly ₹3500 crore. This mainly targeted 2,262 acres dropped from Arkavathi Layout scheme, and 610 acres dropped from Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout scheme.
BDA is also collecting betterment fee for properties left out of the layout scheme at K. Shivaram Karanth Layout, the latest layout it has developed.
The public notice issued on February 25, however, focuses on the old layouts where there are betterment fee arrears.
Since these landowners are also beneficiaries of the development activities, like roads, drainage, streetlights, and water, taken up by BDA, they are bound to pay a betterment fee as per the BDA Act, 1976.
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