The judiciary seems to have given a breather to several property owners in Karnataka, especially in Bangalore. The High Court recently passed an order keeping in abeyance the government scheme, Sakrama, to regularise unauthorised properties in the state.
Sakrama, launched on September 14, 2007, allowed people to regularise their illegal sites and buildings constructed before February 3, 2007, by paying a fee. The government had a deadline of December 14 for accepting applications in this regard. But soon, problems cropped up when property owners alleged that the fees being charged was exorbitant and no scientific method was being adopted to regularise illegal structures.
A survey undertaken by the government prior to the launch of Sakrama showed that of the 13.84 lakh properties in the jurisdiction of the Bhruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) alone, only 6.16 lakh properties, or nearly 50%, had been assessed for property tax. The BBMP anticipated around six lakh properties that could be considered for regularisation.
However, officials said in many cases real estate developers, in a bid to maximise their profits, had violated the norms and sold the properties to innocent buyers. Following the hue and cry, public interest litigations (PILs) were filed by various house owners? associations. After hearing these, the HC decided to keep the implementation of the scheme in abeyance. The HC also observed that the government was free to amend or modify the scheme and gave a months time to the government to file a written statement to the PILs. The next hearing has been posted to February 6, 2008.
Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline for filing applications under Sakrama scheme to March 31, 2008.
What has piqued people in the IT city is the indifference on the part of the government to take stern action against the real estate developers who have violated the norms and officials who allowed them to carry out illegal constructions. Till the government replies to the PILs, the only thing the property owners can do is wait and watch, with their fingers crossed.
