BBMP files complaint against 6 retired officials for violating TDR rules

BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has filed a complaint against six retired government corporation officials in a seven-year-old multi-crore Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scam for favouring the real estate lobby in KR Puram area.

Under the project to widen the road in Bengaluru North Taluk, KR Puram, officials issued TDR in 2015 in lieu of 1,116.09 sqft of land in survey numbers 886/284, 886/441/284 in Devasandra village. As per the 2014-15 regulation, the total area was 57 sqmt and TDR was to be issued for 221 sqmt. However, to favour the land owner, the authorities had given a DRC and issued TDR for 895 sqmt, thereby causing loss to the BBMP.

Deepak, Special Commissioner, BBMP.

The complaint has been filed by BBMP at the Halasur Gate Police Station against six retired officials for allegedly violating norms and issuing DRCs for personal gain. Among the accused are Village Accountant B R Agasani, retired surveyor Gullappa, retired Deputy Tahsildar M A Gangegowda, retired Joint Commissioner K S Devaraj, retired Deputy Joint Commissioner Umananda Rai, and Executive Engineer D Ramegowda.

“The landowner is residing there and has also rented out the property which has not been handed over to BBMP. The TDR certificate has been issued. Now they are asking to validate, but now we have written to BDA for cancellation of TDR. It started with the road widening process. However, the road was not expanded, nor was the property transferred. Everything is in the possession of the owner, and so we had sent a recommendation to BDA to not give TDR. The land owner went to court against this. We will take action against those within BBMP who are involved in this. We have registered an FIR against six retired officials, and we have decided to conduct an internal investigation as well,” said BBMP Special Commissioner Deepak.