The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed the notifications issued by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) to acquire land for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for setting up a cricket academy on Nandi Hills Road near Devanahalli in Bangalore.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy passed the interim order on a petition filed by Lakshmi Gopal Makhija and others challenging acquisition proceedings initiated by the KIADB in 2011 after the State government in 2010 approved the BCCI’s project.
Nearly 50 acres of land in various survey numbers of Kodugurki and Yemaranahalli villages of Devanahalli taluk was proposed for acquisition for the project, which include construction of a cricket stadium, training centre, gymnasium and conference halls.
It was said by the petitioners that sports did not come under the purview of industry and related purpose as envisaged in the KIAD Act. Moreover, the notified land was classified under green zone as it is used for agriculture.
Shifted
The petitioners said that initially the BCCI had proposed its Rs. 303.93-crore cricket academy project at Ramanagaram, but it was suddenly shifted to this area. They have claimed that the government cannot acquire private properties for handing over to private societies such as the BCCI.
Also, the petitioners claimed that they had purchased these properties incurring huge investment and the KIADB, which issued preliminary notification for acquisition in March 2011, issued the final notification in December 2011 without considering the objections filed by them and without providing a hearing to them.
