Land losers affected by the K. Shivaram Karanth Layout project protested outside the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) on Monday, demanding that substitute sites be allotted to eligible applicants who have approached the Justice Bhopayya Committee. The protesters also sought allotment at the minimum development charge and an early resolution to the dispute.
The protest was organised by revenue-site owners who say they lost their plots during the development of the layout. Their demand centres on reserving sites for people who have submitted applications to the Justice Bhopayya Committee, a panel associated with the process of addressing claims involving affected landowners.
M. Ramesh Ramagondanahalli, district coordinator of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, said thousands of crores of rupees had been spent on developing the Karanth Layout. According to the report, the process of allotting sites to landowners and members of the public began on August 31. However, the protesters alleged that applicants who had approached the committee were not being considered in the allotment process.
The dispute reflects the administrative difficulty that can follow large urban layout projects: land is assembled and developed for a planned neighbourhood, while people affected by the acquisition or related decisions continue to await rehabilitation or substitute property. In this case, the protesters said they had been waiting for nine years after losing their sites and accused the authority of failing to coordinate with the affected site owners.
The protesters also alleged that the BDA’s handling of the claims amounted to disregarding the Justice Bhopayya Committee, which they described as having been appointed by the Supreme Court to safeguard the interests of revenue-site owners. The report did not provide details of the committee’s current list of applicants, the number of people seeking substitute sites, or the authority’s response to the allegations.
The demand is not limited to allotment alone. The protesters want the BDA to convene a meeting with affected landowners, resolve the confusion surrounding eligibility and ensure that substitute sites are allotted in the same area where their original properties were located. They also called for the process to move ahead without imposing high development charges on the claimants.
For Bengaluru’s land and housing administration, the dispute highlights the importance of clear eligibility rules and timely communication when development authorities convert privately held or revenue-recognised land into planned urban layouts. Delays can leave affected households in uncertainty even after physical infrastructure and allotment processes begin for other beneficiaries.
The protesters’ immediate request is for the BDA to hold discussions with revenue-site owners, examine the applications submitted to the Justice Bhopayya Committee and reserve substitute sites for eligible claimants. No further timeline for such a meeting or allotment was provided in the report.