Bengaluru: Rajajinagar MLA and former minister S Suresh Kumar has strongly criticized the Karnataka High Court's decision to stay the applicability of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) residential layouts.
Consumer Protection Must Not Be Diluted
Kumar stated that the spirit of RERA is to protect consumers and should not be diluted through technical interpretations. He criticized the BDA's move to seek exemption from the regulator's jurisdiction, arguing that the authority should focus on fulfilling its commitments to allottees instead of defending its shortcomings.
“BDA must first decide whether it is a regulator and infrastructure builder for Bengaluru or a developer of layouts and builder of flats. That will give clarity to citizens, regulators and lawmakers,” Kumar said in a statement on Monday.
Credibility Damaged by Poor Handling of Major Layouts
The MLA pointed out that the BDA's handling of major layouts such as Banashankari 6th Stage, Arkavathy Layout, and NPKL has damaged its credibility at a time when it is pursuing plans for large-scale urban expansion. He noted that allottees in Banashankari 6th Stage and Arkavathy Layout, both over two decades old, continue to face issues including title disputes and inadequate roads, drainage, and drinking water infrastructure.
Referring to NPKL, Kumar alleged that the BDA had failed to provide basic infrastructure even eight years after allotment. He said that RERA and the assembly petitions committee have become important avenues for allottees seeking accountability from the authority.
Government Bodies Cannot Claim Exemption
Drawing parallels with central public sector undertakings regulated by independent watchdogs, Kumar argued that the BDA cannot claim exemption merely because it is a government body. “A citizen buying a plot or flat from BDA is a consumer and deserves the same protection under the law,” he said, adding that BDA's prices are often comparable to, or higher than, those of private developers despite slower execution of projects.
