Doddakere Maidan in front of Mysuru palace, over which the erstwhile royal family has staked claim, will remain in the possession of the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) till the ownership dispute is resolved.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Deputy Commissioner D. Randeep said 10.36 acres of the disputed Doddakere Maidan, identified by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, wife of the late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, as Garikamala, will continue to be in “peaceful possession” of KEA until the family proves its ownership claim.
Earlier this month, representatives of the Wadiyar family had moved to take possession of the land by levelling the area and demarcating the boundary. They were armed with an April 2016 order of the Karnataka High Court directing the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to issue khata for the property.
However, MCC Commissioner Jagadeesh said the family had failed to furnish all the documents sought by them. “They have produced a copy of a 1950 agreement between the Government of India and the then Maharaja of Mysore, and a court order. But before issuing khata for an urban land, we need documents of conversion from agricultural to non-agricultural land, besides a town planning map of the property,” he said.
A decision on their application for khata will be made known to thems in a day or two, Mr. Jagadeesh said.
Mr. Randeep said khata is issued for the purpose of collecting revenue but does not determine the ownership of the land. A title deed proves ownership, he said.
Meanwhile, officials of the district administration have already installed a signboard at Doddakere Maidan claiming it as government property under the control of KEA. Trespassing is prohibited, the signboard warns.
Doddakere Maidan, which is used by youths of Ittigegud and neighbouring localities for playing cricket and football, is also used by KEA for parking of vehicles of visitors when the Dasara exhibition is under way.
