The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR), Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya (SPS) and Jana Sangrama Parishat, which are fighting against land grabbing in the State, on Tuesday urged the government to stop the construction of apartments by a private developer on the Hanumangiri Betta at Hosakerehalli in Bangalore.
Addressing presspersons, S.R. Hiremath, founder president of the SPS, alleged that some persons had colluded with Revenue Department authorities and tampered records to show that 23.10 acres of Hanumangiri Betta as gomala (grazing land) in 2006.
Mr. Hiremath released a government note, which, he claimed, admits that top officials in the Revenue Department tampered records to show that the Hanumangiri Betta, which comes under ‘B’ category Kharab land where any kind of development is prohibited under law, as gomala and auctioned a part of it (23.10 acres) to realtors.
The note held the tahsildar and Revenue Inspector of the region responsible for the illegal transfer and conversion of the land, he claimed.
The hill on Survey Number 7 of Hosakerehalli village was shown in revenue records as a single hill spread over 84 acres. It was also shown as a park in the green belt in the Comprehensive Development Plan, he said.
Mr. Hiremath said, though the land was bought for Rs.18 crore, 14.10 acres was sold for Rs. 25 crore on the same day.The person who purchased the land applied for conversion of the land after two years and sold the same to a construction company, he alleged.
“As the housing project taken up by the developers is fast progressing, the government has to intervene and stop it forthwith,” he said, demanding that the government book both civil and criminal cases against those involved in the deal.
