For most of its history, the BDA was not a housing builder. Formed in 1976, its primary role was to acquire land, form layouts and allot residential sites, leaving housing construction to individual allottees. This plotted-development model shaped large parts of Bengaluru, including Banashankari, HSR Layout, RMV Extension, and Yelahanka, and was once seen as an effective way to expand the city in a planned manner.
By the early 2000s, however, the model began to show its limits. Bengaluru’s population had grown rapidly, apartments had become the dominant form of urban housing, and land acquisition for new layouts slowed owing to litigation, rising compensation costs, and land scarcity. At the same time, criticism mounted that BDA layouts were generating land value but not delivering houses.
Reinvention
It was against this backdrop that the BDA sought to reinvent itself as a flat builder. The idea was that instead of allotting empty sites that could remain unused or be traded in the resale market, the authority would construct apartments and allot ready-to-occupy houses. Flats, officials argued, would enable higher density, faster housing delivery and more efficient use of land already in BDA’s possession. The shift marked a significant expansion of BDA’s role.
This reinvention took concrete shape in the early 2010s with the launch of large apartment projects, largely on the city’s outskirts. Kaniminike, off Mysuru Road, was among the first major projects under the new model. Planned as a multi-phase housing complex with hundreds of flats across income categories, it was intended to demonstrate that a public authority could build and sell apartments at scale, at prices lower than those offered by private developers.
The project, however, exposed the challenges of the transition. Kaniminike faced construction delays and phased execution that stretched over several years. The project suffered from inadequate external connectivity when flats were offered for sale. Approach roads were incomplete, an issue later flagged by audit authorities. Despite being priced lower than comparable private apartments, demand remained weak, highlighting the limits of affordability when basic infrastructure is absent.
Nevertheless, the BDA expanded its flat-building programme. Over the next decade, apartment projects came up in Kommaghatta, Konadasapura, Doddabanahalli, Nagarabhavi, Valagerahalli, and other peripheral areas. According to official estimates, around 12,000 flats were constructed across these projects. Allotments were carried out through notifications, with repeated booking rounds in projects where demand failed to pick up initially. The BDA has even organised multiple walk-in flat sale melas, but is still stuck with unsold inventory.
Unsold inventory
The outcomes of this push have been uneven. Across several projects, a large number of flats, around 3,000, remain unsold years after completion. Location has emerged as a key factor. Most projects are situated far from major employment hubs, metro corridors, schools and hospitals. In many cases, basic infrastructure such as approach roads, drainage networks and reliable public transport lagged behind construction, diminishing the attractiveness of the flats despite lower prices.
Water availability has been another persistent concern. Several BDA apartment complexes did not have assured Cauvery water supply at the time of allotment and depended instead on borewells or tanker water.
Residents face problems
For those who did move in, the experience has been mixed. “We moved in thinking that the basics would improve over time, but even now there is confusion about maintenance and common facilities. No one is clear about who is responsible once possession is given,” said N. Manjunath Swamy, a resident of Yelahanka.
In several instances, flats were structurally complete but could not be handed over because statutory approvals from fire services or electricity supply agencies were pending. As a result, finished houses remained legally unsellable. In some projects, the absence of clear timelines for approvals further prolonged uncertainty for both the authority and potential buyers.
Residents who eventually took possession have also pointed to delays in completing common amenities, unclear maintenance arrangements and slow formation of resident welfare associations. “Unlike private developers, who manage the transition to resident-led maintenance through structured handover processes, BDA’s post-possession mechanisms have lacked clarity, leaving many like us, dependent on the authority for extended periods,” said Sahana Bhat.
(In this series, we look at the evolution of the BDA as it turns 50 years old)
Published – January 21, 2026 07:00 am IST
