BMP making all efforts to `retain' tank bed

BMP making all efforts to `retain' tank bed

The Hindu

BANGALORE, FEB. 6. Perturbed over the recent auction of land on the sprawling Byrasandra tank bed in Jayanagar 3rd block, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) is now making all efforts to "retain" the land.

On Friday, the Indian Overseas Bank auctioned over 1.2 hectares of land on the tank bed as the person who had mortgaged the property with the bank for a loan of Rs 4 crores in 1994, had not repaid the amount.

Sources in the BMP said that Siera Property Developers Private Ltd. of Frazer Town had mortgaged the property by pledging "ownership records" in the bank. The bank had put up the auction notice on the watchman's shed in the area two months in advance.

Minister's plea

The Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, who is also the area MLA, wrote to the BMP Commissioner, K. Jothiramalingam, on January 4, asking him to ensure that the land is protected from encroachers.

Though the BMP owned the 6-hectare sprawling Byrasandra tank bed, it was handed over to the Forest Department to develop it into a tree park. But it was again taken over from the department after the civic body decided to develop it into a park.

Legal battle

The residents of the Reserve Bank Employees' Housing Colony led by their secretary, S. Venkata Subba Rao, fought a legal battle for nine years to protect this tank bed from land grabbers. Last year, the BMP invited tenders to develop the area into a park at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore.

"Though it has been legally proved that the land belongs to the BMP, its is surprising that the proprietors of Siera Property Developers Pvt Ltd. have forged the documents and managed to take a loan from the bank," sources said.

CBI probe sought

While the BJP leader in the BMP Council, B.M. Mangala, has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the episode, Mr. Jothiramalingam told The Hindu on Sunday that that the land did not belong to any private party. "We will initiate legal action and fight to the logical end to retain the land and we have already started the process," he said.

MLA blames officials

When contacted, Mr. Reddy expressed concern over the property's auction and blamed officials for it. "I wrote to the Commissioner last month and I even reminded him several times to make a submission at the Debt Recovery Tribunal saying that the land belonged to the BMP. But it is unfortunate that no action has been taken and the property has been auctioned," he said.

He said that he would meet the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, on Monday and request him to order a probe into the mater. "Who has helped the person to get the documents prepared? How did the bank give him a loan on a property that belongs to the BMP? All this will be known after a detailed probe is conducted," he added.