The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : High Court seeks original maps of Bidar fort area

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 28, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

High Court seeks original maps of Bidar fort area

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the State Government to procure original maps of the area around the Bidar Fort.

The court was dealing with appeals by the State Government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) challenging the grant of a part of the land around the fort by the Bidar Land Tribunal to some beneficiaries.

When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, the court noted that the State had produced an original map of the fort and the surrounding areas. The beneficiaries of the land grant contested the stand of the Government and the ASI and said that the map was in their favour.

While the ASI is in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the fort built by the Bahmani Shahs who ruled over vast areas of north Karnataka, including the districts of Bijapur, Gulbarga, Bidar and Ahmednagar, the State too has filed an appeal against the order of the tribunal.

Appearing for the ASI, senior counsel Devhdass said that the fort was a protected monument and that nobody or no agency could tamper with it or grant it. He said that the fort could not have been granted under any circumstances.

While the State had maintained that even though the Assistant Commissioner, who is part of the tribunal, had objected to the grant, the other members had gone ahead with the grant.

While the ASI has urged the court to quash the grant, saying that the fort is a heritage structure and that it must be protected, the State has sought quashing of the tribunal order.

When the matter came up, the court noted that only one of the maps had been produced. It remarked that it was doing the job of the tribunal and adjourned hearing on the case for two weeks.

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