Now, you can alert panel on land encroachments

Now, you can alert panel on land encroachments
Deccan Herald

Do you have information about encroachment of government lands in Bangalore urban district?

If yes, you can tip off the Joint House Committee of the Legislature, which is inquiring into the issue. And the best thing about it you need not disclose your name and address .

Legislator and Committee Chairman A T Ramaswamy told mediapersons on Wednesday that information on encroachment of government land could be sent to the committee through email, fax, post or by dropping details in the complaint boxes kept in front of Legislators’ Home-1 or in front of the Committee’s office in Vidhana Soudha.

Mr Ramaswamy said the Committee has been assigned the job of inquiring into the status of 57,606 acres of government land, allegedly encroached upon, spread over 699 villages in the five taluks in Bangalore urban district.

Stating that the Committee had already received confirmation that 3,589 acres of land belonging to the Revenue Department had been encroached upon, it was awaiting information from many other departments in this regard.

Public meeting

Mr Ramaswamy said the committee will conduct area-wise inspection and public meetings to collect information from the public in areas where encroachments are reported.

The Committee has the task of identifying survey number-wise encroachment of land, involvement of officials, government employees and private parties in the encroachment, suggesting steps to evict the encroachers, besides taking stern action against the encroachers.

Voluntary surrender

Mr Ramaswamy said that any individuals or organisation, who had unknowingly encroached upon government land could voluntarily surrender the same on verification and the Committee would appreciate such moves.

The Committee was contemplating to recommend to the Government to bring in a legislation constituting special courts to deal with cases pertaining to government land, Mr Ramaswamy said.

Mr V Balasubramanian, former additional chief secretary, and Mr P S Nagarajan, former chief election officer, have been appointed as adviser and technical adviser respectively for the committee.