In the largest recovery of government land in Bengaluru, 721 acres, with an estimated market value of Rs. 7,551 crore, was recovered in the eastern parts of the city on Saturday as hundreds of concrete structures, including commercial complexes and residential buildings, were razed to the ground. Ironically, most of the land had been encroached upon by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board.
The biggest recovery was in Kadugodi where the district administration recovered 711 acres of land converted into a plantation by the KIADB, while nearly three acres of land was recovered in Banaswadi lake area.
Deputy Commissioner (Bengaluru Urban) V. Shankar said 711 acres of forest land had been encroached upon by the KIADB, which did not have proper documents. Residential buildings had come up on five acres. The value of the recovered property is Rs. 7,100 crore, he added.
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The administration also recovered 7.18 acres of land, worth about Rs. 300 crore, at Munnenakolalu village. The land had been encroached upon by an NGO, which had constructed a school and a hostel for girls for commercial purpose. Mr. Shankar said that while the government had leased out 9.18 acres of land to Navajeevan Nilaya, a city-based NGO for running a rehabilitation centre for leprosy patients for 30 years, the NGO had violated the lease conditions.
“Revenue officials had submitted a report on the matter and the land was recovered after cancelling the lease agreement. The two acres of land where the rehabilitation centre is located has been given to Srikrishna Sevasharama trust to run the centre,” he said.
In Banaswadi, 2.39 acres of land, which was encroached upon by private parties who had constructed commercial complexes, residential houses and a petrol station, was recovered after demolishing the structures. A temple that had come up on the encroached area has been handed over to the Muzrai Department.
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Penal action proposed
The district administration has recommended action against officials who helped land encroachers. “During the anti-encroachment drive, we have come across instances where officials of civic agencies were involved in creating fake documents. Nine cases have been filed against such officials with Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force,” said Deputy Commissioner V. Shankar.
“Officials have been directed to track down those who created fake documents for government land and sold the parcels to gullible people. The officials are analyzing the documents at the sub-registrar’s offices to track down touts. We are also planning to confiscate their property and compensate those who have been cheated,” Mr. Shankar said.