Bengaluru Man's 46-Year Property Saga Ends with BDA's Miraculous Intervention
For nearly half his life, 78-year-old Krishna Sadananda Thantry carried a thin folder that held the weight of decades—filled with receipts, official orders, fading hopes, and mounting disappointment. Over 46 long years, he made countless trips to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) headquarters in Kumara Park, clinging to the dream of finally owning the house built on a 30x40 site that had been gifted to him by a friend. Each visit seemed to end in vain, until recently, when a final attempt unfolded into what he calls a miraculous resolution.
A Journey of Persistence and Patience
Thantry's saga began in 1979–80 at the Domlur Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) quarters. At the time, he was a young professional working as an assistant manager at a hotel on MG Road. His friend and house owner, Samuel, allowed him to continue staying on the premises and eventually gifted him the property through a general power of attorney (GPA). Thantry decided to transfer the property to his name and made payments to BDA, for which he meticulously kept receipts. However, the process was far from smooth.
Officials cited various rules and complications, turning what should have been a straightforward transfer into a bureaucratic nightmare. Years slipped by as Thantry navigated a maze of desks, signatures, and transfers. "Come next week" often turned into "come next year," and 26 years passed without progress. Life moved on around the stagnant paperwork—his children grew up, his elder son attended engineering college, and the family relocated from Domlur to Vinayaka Layout. Yet, the file remained untouched.
The Breaking Point and a Glimmer of Hope
Exhausted by the endless circuit of offices and the unspoken demand for bribes—sometimes hinted at openly, other times through subtle references to family—Thantry eventually stopped visiting the BDA. "Everybody wanted a bribe," he recalled, explaining how he refused to comply, leaving the file to gather dust. With hope nearly extinguished, someone recently suggested one final attempt at the BDA's Citizen Assistance Cell's Open House Meeting.
Walking in with little expectation, Thantry found a room where the system sat together—officials, the commissioner, and the chairman on a single platform. Two meetings later, the unimaginable happened. On January 29, the long-awaited sale deed was finally handed over to him. No intermediaries, no "facilitation," and not a single penny exchanged.
A New Dawn for BDA and Its Citizens
An elated Thantry expressed his gratitude, saying, "I never thought there would be some positive development in my case. I'm thankful to BDA commissioner P Manivannan and chairman NA Haris for turning despair into happiness for me." Reflecting on his ordeal, he added, "I'm 78 years old, and I saw many officers. This was too challenging, but it happened. They took it on their own and did it."
BDA chairman NA Haris highlighted the authority's ongoing efforts to transform its image. "We are doing our best to change the overall outlook of the BDA. The authority is becoming more accessible and result-oriented. The old image must go—that is also what the deputy chief minister wants. What we are doing now is new for a government system. People approach us both offline and online, and we are resolving issues with immediate settlements wherever possible," he stated.
This heartwarming resolution not only marks the end of a 46-year wait for Thantry but also signals a promising shift in how government bodies like the BDA are addressing citizen grievances, offering a beacon of hope for many others entangled in similar bureaucratic webs.
