CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Aam Aadmi Party State Organising Secretary Dr Satish Kumar on Monday urged the Karnataka Government to extend the existing 15-year domicile criterion for allotment of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) sites to at least 25 years.
Addressing a press conference, Kumar said the criterion introduced in 1984 was outdated and no longer reflected Bengaluru’s demographic and economic changes.
“Bengaluru has changed completely over three decades, but government rules have remained unchanged. This has directly affected Kannadigas who have lived in Karnataka for generations,” he said.
Kumar questioned the policy of acquiring land from Kannada farmers for urban development, converting it into sites and subsequently pricing them beyond the reach of ordinary Kannadigas.
He warned that continuing with the 15-year domicile requirement would further restrict opportunities for local residents. The government, he said, should amend the rules immediately and introduce a 25-year domicile criterion.
Kumar also demanded preferential allotment for locals in land acquired from farmers, affordable site prices for ordinary Kannadigas and a completely transparent allotment process.
“This is not merely an AAP political issue. It concerns the lives, land and future of Kannadigas,” he said, urging farmers, Kannada organisations, activists and pro-Kannada leaders to unite on the demand.
He warned that failure to act could increase the risk of Kannadigas losing access to land and housing opportunities in Bengaluru.
“BDA is a public housing agency, not a private real estate company. A Kannadiga loses his land and later struggles to buy a site developed on that very land. This is a failure of government policy.” Dr Satish, AAP State Organising Secretary
AAP’S DEMANDS
- Existing domicile criterion: 15 years
- Demanded criterion: 25 years
- Rule introduced: 1984
- Key demand: Priority for local Kannadigas
- Other demands: Affordable sites and transparent allotment
WHY AAP WANTS RULE CHANGE
AAP State Organising Secretary Dr Satish Kumar said the existing 15-year domicile rule was outdated and disadvantaged generations of Kannadigas. He argued that locals whose land was acquired for Bengaluru’s development should receive fair priority in site allotments. Kumar also sought affordable pricing and transparent procedures, saying BDA must function as a public housing agency rather than operate like a private real estate developer.
