Karnataka: BDA under criticism for selling land under litigation
BENGALURU: Residents of Banashankari 6th Stage have been barred from constructing houses on their properties after multiple blocks in the layout came under litigation, affecting over 300 plots.
The layout, formed 22 years ago by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), includes long-time allottees from 2002, houses constructed over nine years ago, and site buyers from recent BDA auctions between 2021 and 2024. Though the area is fully developed and has a resident welfare association in place, the land has now been declared to belong to the original landlords.
Residents have alleged that the BDA have failed to defend its land acquisition in court and is continuing to auction sites that are under litigation, leaving many buyers in limbo and raising serious concerns about the agency’s functioning. Several affected residents, many of whom were unaware that their plots were under legal dispute, are now demanding urgent intervention.
“We are raising this issue anonymously because the landowners have political backing. But hundreds of us are suffering. This is a public failure. Why should we trust BDA after this?” they said.
A property owner from the 3rd Block said their family had bought the site through a BDA auction in 2021, registered it in 2022, and began construction only in February 2025. “We had already laid the foundation when local landlords informed us that a High Court order had quashed BDA’s acquisition in January this year,” the resident said.
According to residents, the court ruling denotified over 16 acres of land across 2nd Block, 3rd Block, and 4H Block in Banashankari 6th Stage, following petitions filed by the original landowners. They claimed that BDA had failed to develop the layout and that they continued using the land for agricultural purposes.
The court ruled in their favour, impacting more than 250 to 300 site owners. “Many of us are now left helpless. We can’t build our homes, and we can’t sell either,” said another resident. “From January 27 to April, there was no response or action.
We visited the BDA office every week, met the commissioner, and urged them to file an appeal. Finally, last week, their lawyer submitted the appeal, but it still hasn’t been admitted because he failed to attach the necessary documents,” a resident
The residents further alleged that the BDA did not present evidence in court to show that the layout was developed. “There are tarred roads, Cauvery water connections, streetlights, garbage collection, and fully occupied houses. Yet, none of these documents were submitted in court. That’s why this happened, they said.
The residents claimed that the BDA is still auctioning new sites, as if nothing had happened.
