Sunitha Rao R | TNN
Hundreds of citizens living safe and secure in their dream gated communities may be jolted to know that the BDA has suddenly woken up and has started redefining the term. The civic agency does not recognize these islands of privacy that have come up across the city. For the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike too these gated premises are illegal.
The civic agencies declare that these are nothing but unauthorized settlements and cannot be excluded from the rest of the city through a mere boundary wall.
But urban experts say that civic agencies have no right to comment as it is they who have issued occupation certificates. They say that these private layouts are no different from government quarters.
How did these layouts come about? “In our rulebook, there is no concept of gated communities. The developers take permission for the formation of layouts and construction of residential blocks. But they cannot block part of the layout from public access. That is not allowed in the laws and amounts to gross violation,” says BDA commissioner Bharata Lal Meena.
Every layout is required to earmark space for parks, roads and areas of common use, say authorities. These roads and parks come under the civic authorities, hence these communities can’t claim exclusivity, they say.
Builders do admit that there is no term called a gated community in the bylaws, developers use it for convenience purpose. Says Jayashankar BM, managing director, Adarsha Developers: “Even Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India is clear on this.’’
He explains: “For a property measuring up to 20,000 sq mtr or 4.95 acres, a developer need not have to obtain a development plan. Only building plan is required. Once the building plan is obtained, the developer can build boundary walls and call it gated community. However, in the same property, if the builder develops a residential layout, then the roads will be relinquished with the civic agencies and it becomes a public road.’’
With the apapraent confusion on the definition of gated’, citizens are left with more questions than answers. Echoing the concerns of gated residents, Mainak Ray, investment banker, resident of Sri Ram Spandhana in Challaghatta, says: “When I came to Bangalore about eight years ago, I stayed in an independent house. But the reason I moved into a gated community is because of security and amenities. It might be called as a gated community, but for us outsiders, we find like-minded people living in our neighbourhood. I like to stay in a gated community for its cosmopolitan culture. Civic agencies must make provisions for gated communities.’’
But BDA chief Meena has no answer for them. He reiterates: “It is believed that many such communities take permission from the panchayats and obtain layout plan from the BDA.” What is their future? Will BDA take action? Meena’s reply may come as a relief to the residents. He says: `I don’t know what can be done if there are violations. It is left to the government.’’ Though BDA throws up its hands, here is a case where residents of a gated community off Kanakapura main road faced problems in 2010. BBMP had razed down the boundary wall of this gated community as it was blocking the road for the villages. The residents had questioned the builder, but got no answer and the wall is still not rebuilt. “We have made temporary security measures, but there is no concrete wall,’’ says John Sebastin (name changed), a resident.
sunitha.rao@timesgroup.com
WHAT are gated
communities?
Every large apartment complex or cluster of villas can be described as gated community, given that these have defined entry and exit points
desidentity 