The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has announced cash rewards of up to ₹4 lakh for people who provide information about encroachments on its properties or claims made using forged documents, in a move aimed at protecting public land and improving the authority’s ability to recover valuable urban assets.
According to a notification issued on October 12, the reward will be fixed according to the area of the site involved. The authority said this is the first time it has announced such an incentive for members of the public. The scheme will cover information relating to properties that have been encroached upon and cases involving allegedly fake documents or claims over BDA land.
Officials said the decision was taken based on a resolution passed at a meeting of the BDA’s governing board. The authority intends to verify the information, documents and ownership-related details submitted by informants before releasing any reward. The identities of those providing information will be kept confidential, officials said, to protect them from threats by alleged encroachers.
The announcement comes as land, housing and apartment prices in Bengaluru continue to rise, increasing the value of properties held by public agencies. The BDA and its predecessor, the City Improvement Trust Board (CITB), have developed around 70 residential layouts across the city, containing more than two lakh sites. These include established neighbourhoods such as Jayanagar, Sadashivanagar, Rajajinagar, Indiranagar, Koramangala, HSR Layout, Banashankari, RT Nagar and JP Nagar.
The authority plans to generate revenue by auctioning land assets for major infrastructure projects within its jurisdiction. The report identified the Bengaluru Business Corridor and Peripheral Ring Road among the projects for which funding is intended to be raised. The BDA has set a target of collecting ₹10,000 crore through its land assets.
The reward scheme therefore links property protection with the BDA’s wider land and infrastructure-financing plans. Identifying encroachments and disputed claims could help the authority establish clearer control over sites intended for future auctions or public projects. However, the notification requires the authority to re-examine submitted records and title-related information before deciding whether a payment is due.
The BDA’s decision places members of the public in a formal information-gathering role in relation to public land. It also makes confidentiality and document verification central to the operation of the scheme, given the potential for disputes over ownership, encroachment and competing claims. The authority has not, in the supplied announcement, detailed the reward slabs linked to different site sizes or the timeline for completing verification and making payments.
The next steps will depend on the BDA’s examination of information and records submitted under the scheme. Rewards will be paid only after the authority rechecks the relevant documents and ownership details, according to officials.
