Mysuru: The ambitious project of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA)  to form Ballahalli Layout in partnership with farmers (land owners) has hit a roadblock with farmers demanding their pound of flesh. They are asking more share in the layouts that will be developed by MUDA.

At the Ballahalli Layout near Koorgalli that has been cleared by the State Government, MUDA plans to distribute 4,000 sites in an area of 285 acres. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared and a joint measurement process has been completed. MUDA has plans of developing the proposed residential layout at Ballahalli into a full-fledged satellite township to disperse growth and de-congest the city.

While acquiring land for new layouts, the MUDA decided to follow the 50:50 formula where 50 percent of the developed sites will be given free of cost to land owners or farmers whose land have been acquired. This formula has been worked out by MUDA to avoid litigations and claims of more compensation.

In new layouts, 16 sites can be formed in one acre of land after leaving out space and earmarking roads, drainage, Underground Drainage (UGD), power lines, parks, open space, Civic Amenity (CA) sites and corner sites.

As per the 50:50 formula after the mandatory spaces are earmarked in one acre of land, there will be an area of 21,000 square feet for house sites. In this, as per the formula, landowners will get 10,500 square feet and MUDA will get 10,500 feet. “The farmers are now demanding 12,500 square feet of land per acre as their share and it will not be feasible for MUDA to do this,” said MUDA Commissioner P.S. Kantharaju.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning from Telangana where he had been for Assembly election duty, he said that the project was stuck as the farmers are demanding a larger share. “The issue has already been brought to the notice of Mysuru District Minister G.T. Devegowda and he has assured to hold a meeting with farmers soon after the ongoing Winter Session of Assembly in Belagavi,” he said.

Earlier, MUDA had floated 40:60 formula where 60 percent of the developed land was to be taken over by MUDA and the rest 40 percent to be owned by farmers. Following the demand from farmers and to mitigate their land losses, MUDA agreed for 50:50 formula. “If the farmers do not agree to this, then we will be forced to have a rethink on Ballahalli project,” he  explained.

Another issue that has come in the way of the project is around 60-70 acres of ‘Gomala’ land (Government land that has been handed over to villages for cattle grazing) within  Ballahalli project.

“This Gomala land falls under G.T. Devegowda’s constituency and we have requested him to speak to landowners and persuade them to part with  lands,” he said.

Kantharaju said that private developers are offering Rs.1 crore per acre of land at Ballahalli and this also has added a spoke in the wheels of MUDA’s   new layout plans.

Of late, MUDA is facing severe shortage of land and people have accused it of failing on its basic function — to identify and provide land for residents of Mysuru.

There are more than one-and-a-half lakh pending applications from site aspirants since the last 30 years and the number of applicants has only increased.

So far, MUDA has only been able to complete the process of allotting land at R.T. Nagar and Lalithadrinagar Second Stage that were proposed 15 years back only in December last year.

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