: Minister for Revenue V. Srinivas Prasad has assured members of the Legislative Council that he will expedite the process of setting up special courts to try cases pertaining to encroachment of government land across the State.
The mushrooming of unauthorised housing layouts in and around Bangalore and the role of realtors, including their alleged nexus with politicians, also figured in the House.
Mr. Prasad promised to take stringent action to contain the phenomenon.
Replying to a debate on budgetary demands for the Revenue Department on Thursday, he said the State government had sent a proposal to the Union government to permit it to set up special courts to try cases of encroachment of government land.
The Centre suggested that the State try those cases through special courts under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, the government wrote back claiming it had a huge number of cases. Special courts on the lines of those in Andhra Pradesh would help in expediting them. “The government will expedite the process of setting up special courts,” he said.
Mr. Prasad said that according to the report of the Special Task Force, 13.24 lakh acres of land belonging to departments of Revenue, Forests and Urban Development had been encroached upon in the State. Of this, encroachment on 7.54 lakh acres was being questioned as cases submitted by the applicants under Sections 50 and 53 were yet to be decided.
“The government will not hesitate to clear the encroachment without any mercy,” he asserted.
On the issue of mushrooming of unauthorised housing layouts, Opposition members and Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa urged the Minister to order a probe. Mr. Thimmappa said the government’s image would be at stake if the problems were not addressed in right earnest.
Mr. Prasad assured the members that he would get the registration of revenue sites and houses in green and non-green belts in and around Bangalore stopped.
