Karnataka to sell recovered land to raise Rs 3,000 crore

Karnataka government has decided to auction land recovered from encroachers in and around Bengaluru city to mop up an estimated Rs 3,000 crore.

In the first round, the state will auction 107 acres worth Rs 500 crore. “This is litigation-free land recovered from encroachers in the past few years. We plan to e-auction it soon,” Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner GS Shivamurthy told TOI.

At a revenue-mobilization strategy meeting on August 10, chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar reportedly directed the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner, BBMP and BDA to take steps and sell such properties to fill the state’s coffers at the earliest.

Govt aims to raise Rs 3,000cr through sale

Since December 2013, the Bengaluru Urban district administration has recovered 16,029 acres of government land. Most of it has already been auctioned to fund public projects.

“Instead of auctioning smaller plots, the government is targeting large parcels suitable for companies or big residential ventures. This helps the government in realising substantial money in one go,” a revenue official said.

The Bangalore Development Authority has finalised a proposal to sell civic amenities (CA) sites to 21 trusts, including educational, religious institutions, recreational and sports clubs, on the condition it should be utilised for the purpose for which it is allotted. The cabinet will consider the proposal on Thursday.

Officials said about 1,200 CA sites have been leased to different institutions for a 30-year period. The government has set a target of raising Rs 3,000 crore through land sale. According to BDA rules, 10% of the area in every layout must be set aside for civic amenities — parks, recreational and sports clubs or educational institutions. These will be sold at the prevailing guidance value.

For now, the government has given permission to sell 112 CA sites leased to institutions, including Bangalore Golf Club. Of these, Shivamurthy said, 21 educational institutions have agreed to buy the land. Forty-eight institutions which have violated land-allotment norms have been asked to pay lease dues or buy land. “Some are negotiating on the rate,” he added.

In Bengaluru Rural district, the deputy commissioner has been asked to identify the encroached gomala and ‘B’ kharab land using satellite images and auction them at four times the guidance value.