The Hindu : Front Page : 1,208 acres of land recovered in five months: Yeddyurappa

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Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008
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1,208 acres of land recovered in five months: Yeddyurappa

S. Rajendran

‘Recovery of encroached land is a continuous process’

Most of it is on the highways in and around Bangalore
The recovered land will be auctioned shortly

BANGALORE: The State Government has recovered 1,208 acres of land from encroachers. Most of the land is along the highways leading to Devanahalli, Hosur and Tumkur.

Contrary to popular belief and the allegations of some Opposition parties that recovery of encroached land, particularly those in and around Bangalore, had come to a halt during President’s Rule (November 2007 to May 2008) and after the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government took charge, records in the Revenue Department indicate that the recovery of encroached land has been a continuous process. The Yeddyurappa Government has directed that the recovered land should be auctioned.

Interestingly, most of the land that has been recovered is part of the Green Belt and it cannot be put to commercial use unless the Government decides to permit change of land use.

The Chief Minister, who has been requested by the Revenue Department to take a decision on the land in the Green Belt, told The Hindu that “recovery of encroached land will be a continuous process, and action will be taken against the encroachers irrespective of their political affiliations. I have given a commitment in the revised budget that the Government will constitute a Karnataka Land Corporation to safeguard government land that has been recovered from encroachers. The State Cabinet has approved the formation of the corporation.”

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the extent of government land in Bangalore Urban district was 1,22,918 acres and, of this, the Ramaswamy committee had concluded that 33,877 acres had been encroached upon.

“While 8,717 acres of the encroached land was recovered in the past, my Government has, in five months, recovered 1,208 acres of land (127.14 acres in Anekal taluk, 79.15 acres in Bangalore East, 727.07 acres in Bangalore North and 274.07 acres in Bangalore South). Added to this, there are many cases pending before courts relating to encroachment,” the Chief Minister said.

A report submitted by the revenue authorities to the Government has indicated that most of the land encroachment in and around Bangalore was perpetrated by politicians and their henchmen. However, the occupants of the land are people living below the poverty line.

Principal Secretary, Revenue, D. Thangaraj, who has been closely monitoring the recovery of encroached land, said that the 1208.03 acres of land that had been recovered would be auctioned shortly.

“We expect to net a revenue of at least Rs. 600 crore from the sale of 1,208 acres of land,” he said.

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