BENGALURU: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has relaxed its domicile norms for allotment of houses and flats, doing away with the requirement of 10 years of residency in Bengaluru. Now, applicants need to have only two years of residency in Bengaluru, with a valid address and Aadhaar card.
The move has sparked controversy, with locals claiming that the change will make it harder for them to get houses and plots. The BDA, however, says that the change is aimed at boosting sales, as many houses and plots were lying unsold.
According to BDA officials, the new norms require applicants to have a Bengaluru address and Aadhaar card, and must have resided in the city for at least two years. The change applies to both locals and outsiders, including those from other states.
The BDA claims that it has no pending applications for houses and has already allotted all available houses. The authority has around 2,400 houses available for allotment and invites applications from eligible candidates.
The change has been criticized by locals, who argue that it will benefit outsiders at their expense. The BDA, however, maintains that the change is necessary to boost sales and development in the city.
The new norms are seen as a relaxation of the previous rules, which required applicants to have 10 years of residency in Bengaluru. The change is expected to benefit a large number of people, including those from other states who want to own a house or plot in Bengaluru.
“We have changed the domicile rules now and residency of two years is enough now. The applicant’s Aadhaar card should have a Karnataka address. A domicile certificate will be necessary”, said Lokesh, financial member of BDA.
Further, he said there was not much demand for BDA flats and sites. “We have to provide housing to those who come from outside Bengaluru too. There are many people working in the IT industry living in rented houses. If they buy a property, they will keep the property and not sell it”, he added.
To a question on people from outside the state benefitting from the move over locals, he said, “That is a wrong perception. Not even one application is pending and flats have been distributed. As far as sites are concerned, the 10-year domicile rules still apply”, he added.
