A surveyor was suspended for allegedly helping a private firm illegally acquire three acres of government land in Pachchanady.
The Mangaluru Urban Development Authority wrote to Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha on December 23, 2016, accusing surveyor Chidananda Murthy M. of including three acres of MUDA land in the land in which Internet City Pvt. Ltd. was coming up with a residential complex. MUDA sought disciplinary action against Mr. Murthy.
Following issuance of notice, Mr. Murthy in his reply said owing to oversight, the three acres was included while preparing map of land. The firm had sought for a joint map of lands in Pachchanady, Kudupu and Paddavu villages on which the residential complex was coming up.
Turning down the contention of Mr. Murthy, Mr. Jagadeesha in his order on January 20, said it was grave misconduct by the surveyor to prepare a map mentioning government land worth several crores as land of a private firm.
Mr. Jagadeesha said prima facie, Mr. Murthy appears to have favoured the private firm by overlooking the RTC that clearly mentions MUDA as the owner of the three acres.
Mr. Murthy directly handled the application without bringing it to the notice of the survey supervisor. Mr. Murthy had also failed to issue notices to owners of the land involved before carrying out the joint survey work, Mr. Jagadeesha noted in his order.
Terming the conduct of Mr. Murthy as “unbecoming of a government servant”, Mr. Jagadeesha used powers vested in him under Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957, to place Mr. Murthy under suspension pending disciplinary inquiry.
