Citizens’ groups are demanding transparency in the management of civic amenities sites in Bengaluru.
With many such sites going into private hands, activists are calling for public consultations.
When a layout is planned, 10 per cent of the space is reserved for civic amenities.
“They can be anything from parks to waste management plants,” says Niveditha Sunkad, member of RR Nagar I Care. She says problems arise because the authorities hold no public consultation on anything.
“About 95 per cent of residents may not even know what a CA site is, let alone where it is located. This lack of information and transparency lets the authorities misuse these sites,” she says.
Groups like hers are demanding that the BDA and BBMP must put up a list online of all CA sites and what they are earmarked for so the public can hold officials accountable.
In her neighbourhood, CA sites are being turned into parks.
“While parks are good, making every CA site into an expanse of exotic plants serves no purpose. We need spaces for waste management, we need children’s play areas. But everytime we approach the BBMP for anything other than a park, they say that those sites are being auctioned off. So what’s the point of having them in the first place,” she says.
She says CA sites should be used for playgrounds and community halls and not bus depots and bus stations.
Shobha Bhat, member of Usiru Foundation and a resident of Jnanabharathi Layout, says when CA sites are given away to private parties, citizens lose out on their rights.
Rajesh Sundararajan, member of Citizens for Bengaluru and a resident of JP Nagar, says encroachments are aplenty, and CA sites are grabbed by people with vested interests.
“One of the most common examples is that of religious structures. It usually starts off as a shrine in a corner of the park and then takes up the entire space. No one ever says anything because religion is involved,” he says.
Niveditha says questions must be raised at ward committee meetings. “Unfortunately many of these committees are formed with people close to the councillor. The public barely has a say,” she says.
Shobha says collective effort can bring about change. “Individual effort is futile, and residential associations must come together and demand change,” she
says.
Rajesh is one of the few voices to speak up against shrines taking up CA spaces. He says the courts must intervene and make sure CA sites are used for amenities that benefit the neighbourhood.
What is a CA site?
A civic amenity site is a mandatory space in any layout, BDA or private.
They are typically used for parks, community halls, and playgrounds.
A layout plan without provision for CA sites gets rejected. According to the
CA sites rules of 1989, 10 per cent of every layout has to be set aside for civic amenities.
What CA sites can be used for
Parks
Playgrounds
Community centres
Gyms
Waste management
Court ruling
Recently, the High Court ruled that CA sites can be alloted to private companies to build corporate offices. Citizens’ groups believe this is a slippery slope.
“A corporate office cannot be counted as a civic amenity, even if it is a bank. The judgment should be challenged,” says advocate Prajwal K Aradhya.
Last year, the BDA got a nod from the state government to sell CA sites to private companies.
According to a notification, the allottee or purchaser can use the site only to provide the civic amenity that it was earmarked for.
“Moreover, according to a Supreme Court ruling from 1994, any ‘owner’ of a CA site is relegated to the status of a trustee. While they may hold the property, it is to be used for the benefit of the community,” adds Prajwal.