Date:03/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/03/stories/2008100356481100.htm

Karnataka

CDP for Chickballapur ready

K.V. Subramanya

CHICKBALLAPUR: To ensure planned growth of Chickballapur, which is attracting huge investments in the real estate sector in view of its proximity to Bengaluru International Airport (BIA), the district administration has come out with a comprehensive development plan (CDP) for the town and 90 villages on its periphery.

Following a proposal by the district administration, the State Government recently issued a notification bringing 90 villages surrounding Chickballapur under the CDP. These villages are situated in a radius of seven km from the town.

Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadhav told The Hindu that as Chickballapur and surrounding areas were bound to witness a massive growth in the real estate sector in the coming years, the district administration had decided to come out with a CDP and fix land use pattern to check the haphazard growth of the region.

“We will soon take up a survey to fix the land use pattern — green belt, industrial, commercial and residential areas. A public meeting will be held in October to finalise the land use pattern. Land will be earmarked for sewage treatment plants (STPs) and other such projects. The land use pattern will come into force on January 5, 2009,” Mr. Yadhav said.

Authority

Though Chickballapur became a district headquarters a year ago, it had no urban development authority. When Chickballapur Urban Development Authority would be constituted in future, its job would become easier as the CDP and land use pattern would be in place. The 90 villages brought under the CDP would continue to be under the existing gram panchayats, and they would not be part of the Chickballapur City Municipal Council as was being rumoured, he said.

Meanwhile, the district administration’s move to come out with a CDP and fix land use pattern has further miffed the real estate lobby, which was upset over the tough stand taken by the Deputy Commissioner on conversion of land for various purposes.

The commissioning of BIAL and Chickballapur becoming a district headquarters are said to be the reasons for the real estate boom. The present market value of one acre of land abutting National Highway 7, connecting Bangalore and Chickballapur, is around Rs. 1.5 crore while the guidance value fixed by the Government is much lower

Even within Chickballapur town, the real estate value has skyrocketed. For instance, landowners are quoting a fancy price of Rs. 60 lakh for a 60x40 site at Prashanthnagar, billed as the “Dollars Colony” of Chickballapur.