Anantapur: Realtors make fast buck selling plots in unapproved layouts

Anantapur : Realtors promoting housing layouts without Anantapur-Hindupur Urban Development Authority (Ahuda) approval are taking purchasers of house plots for a ride by keeping them in the dark on payment of 14 per cent of land value to the panchayats for their housing plan approval and thereby Ahuda, the urban development body approval.

Ahuda has called upon all realtors engaged in housing layouts to apply for its approval and regularise their layouts but the realtors unwilling to shell out money for securing approvals has been selling house plots without Ahuda nod and taking gullible purchasers for a ride. The overnight appearance of fences over unapproved layouts and indiscriminate unofficial conversion of agriculture lands is depriving Ahuda of its revenue which it should have earned through the unapproved layouts. Although the panchayats are not supposed to issue approvals without the knowledge of Ahuda, the former is issuing approvals. While the surveyors are earning illegal revenues and becoming rich overnight, Ahuda is starved of funds to administer the urban development body.

There are several illegal layouts in rural Anantapur spread in 26 village panchayats including Rachanapalle, Akuthotapalle, Kandukur, Somaladoddi, Rudrampeta, Alamuru and Kurukunta etc. There are illegal layouts in 1,500 acres. Despite Ahuda advise to regularise these layouts, the promoters are in a subtle way passing on the burden to plot purchasers.

The promoters are supposed to set apart 40 cents per acre to panchayats for developing roads and drains and for public purchase but totally disregarding these norms, the promoters are selling plots for extra gains. There are nearly 40,000 plots in Anantapur rural which are of illegal nature. Many who are not aware of the intricacies of real estate trading and cross checking of bonafides of land ownership and official approvals are being taken for a ride by vested interests, who broker real estate deals. Once the deal is over, there will be none to respond to any of their woes they encounter after realising that their purchased land is falling short of official requirements.

The realtors are not willing to adhere to Ahuda norms and regulations due to stringent norms regarding laying of roads, leaving open spaces for parks and for public utility.

Similarly, in Sathya Sai district, there are nearly 100 private layouts in 10 mandals and 95 panchayats spread in Puttaparthi, Bukkapatnam, Somandepalle, Kothacheruvu, Hindupur, Lepakshi, Chilamattur, Penukonda and Gorantla mandals.

Ahuda Chairman Mahalakshmi Sreenivas told The Hans India that despite shortage of staff, he is gearing up the available staff and requesting services of panchayath surveyors for inspection of private unapproved layouts. It is a matter of time when everything will be set in order. He advised people against purchasing plots in Ahuda unapproved layouts.