‘Netas, babus part of illegal land deals’

‘Netas, babus part of illegal land deals’
Deccan HErald

After the sobriquet of Garden City, IT City, Science City and Silk City, Bangalore has also acquired the status of the land grabbers city, said A T Ramaswamy, head of the Joint Select Committee of the Legislature, set up to look into encroachment of government land in and around Bangalore Urban district.

Speaking to the media persons after submitting Part I of the committee’s interim report, he said 13,614.37 acres illegal land costing Rs 27, 377.75 crore was investigated into by the team. “The market value of this land will be double,” he said.

Complaints

Since its inception on June 17, up to December 6, 2006, the committee has received 486 complaints about encroachment of government land in and around Bangalore. Ramaswamy blamed the revenue department, BMRDA, KIADB, Mines and Geology Department, Forest Department and the Lake Development Authority for being mute spectators to this illegal act.

Lake beds

The committee observed that land sharks from other states were forced to come to Bangalore as the laws were made stringent in their home states. In its report, the committee also observed that the Lake Development Authority headed by the Chief Secretary and with members from the Forest Department was unable to save the lake beds from encroachment.

The report says that politicians and government officials were part of the illegal land dealing and mooted the need for a special court to try these special cases.

The punishment mentioned in the law for the culprits, however influential, needs to be implemented strictly, the 99-page report maintained.