755 Bengaluru residents get long-pending Arkavathi BDA sites in record 15-min allotment

The process was live-streamed to enhance transparency and has been praised by officials as a major step in rebuilding public trust.

After nearly two decades of uncertainty, hundreds of Bengaluru residents who lost their plots in the long-delayed Arkavathi Layout project have finally received alternate site allotments, in just 15 minutes, thanks to a fully computerised process introduced by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA).

The BDA on Tuesday achieved a major milestone by completing the computerized allotment of alternate sites.(Unsplash/ Representational Image)

The BDA on Tuesday achieved a major milestone by completing the computerized allotment of alternate sites to 755 allottees of the Arkavathi Layout and 29 allottees from Surabhi Seva Sangha, resolving a long-pending issue that dates back nearly 20 years.

The allotment process, held at the BDA head office under the leadership of BDA Chairman NA Haris, was conducted through a computerized randomization system to ensure transparency. Within just 15 minutes, alternate sites in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL) were allotted to eligible beneficiaries.

The entire process was telecast live on YouTube, a move officials said underscored the BDA’s commitment to openness and accountability.

BDA Commissioner P Manivannan shared the achievement on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “BDA allocates 755 sites in 15 mins! The Chairman of BDA solved a 20-year-old problem of giving alternate sites to the allottees of Arkavathi Layout in 15 minutes, through a computerized randomization process. What’s more, the process was telecast live on YouTube!”

He added that many of these allottees had been “running from pillar to post since 2005–06” to get alternate sites after losing their original plots in the Arkavathi Layout. The final allotment list has now been published on the BDA website, and beneficiaries can proceed directly to complete their sale deed formalities without needing to approach officials.

The initiative follows clear directions from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who has instructed the BDA to make its operations more transparent, accountable, and citizen-friendly, Manivannan added.

This Allotment marks a significant step in rebuilding public trust in the agency, which has faced criticism in the past over land acquisition delays and opaque site distribution processes.

The Commissioner added that more citizen-centric initiatives will be rolled out soon as part of ongoing BDA reforms.