Bengaluru:  A fresh complaint has been lodged against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, this time by residents of Arkavathy Layout.

Site owners Shivalingappa, Venkatkrishnappa and Ramachandraiah Rajashekhar have accused the Chief Minister, former Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner T. Shyam Bhat and other officials of abusing their power.

The complaint alleges that the officials’ misuse of authority has caused significant problems for Arkavathy Layout allottees, many of whom are still struggling to take possession of their sites.

The BDA developed Arkavathy Layout on roughly 800 acres, incorporating 16 villages, including Thanisandra, Sampigehalli, Jakkur and K. Narayanapura. Over one lakh people applied for plots, with 20,000 chosen as beneficiaries.

The BDA executed registration-cum-sale deeds with 12,000 allottees. However, despite being registered, many allottees cannot access their sites due to alleged irregularities and encroachments, prompting them to file a complaint with the Governor.

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In 2004, the BDA had called for applications for plots in Arkavathy Layout. By 2006, hundreds were allotted plots, with payments of Rs. 2.5 lakh for 30×40 sites and Rs. 4.5 lakh for 40×60 sites. The registration-cum-sale deed restricts the sale of BDA sites for at least ten years.

During Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s first term in 2014, the Arkavathy Layout allotments were withdrawn. However, allottees had been paying property taxes since 2006.

The BDA had developed the layout after acquiring land from farmers and compensating them, yet site allottees are still unable to access their plots.

Since the withdrawal in 2014, the registered tenant allotments have been cancelled, but the land acquired from farmers has not been returned.

The complaint further states that allottees are being told there are no available sites in Arkavathy Layout and are being directed to Kempegowda Layout instead. Encroachments by land grabbers have exacerbated the situation, leaving rightful beneficiaries in limbo,  according to the complaint.