‘Jakkasandra tank bed belongs to BDA’

‘Jakkasandra tank bed belongs to BDA’

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: In a major victory for the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday said that nearly six acres of tank bed area adjoining the Jakkasandra Lake in Koramangala belonged to the agency.

Justice N. Ananda passed the order on two petitions in which the ownership of the tank bed had been disputed.

A resident of Bangalore had claimed that six acres belonged to him and his contention had been upheld by a lower court as well as High Court. The BDA had then filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court which had remitted the matter back to the High Court.

Justice Ananda upheld the contentions of the BDA and said the disputed land was a lake bed and that it belonged to the Government.
Stayed

Justice K. Ramanna, in an interim order on Tuesday, stayed all further proceedings by the Forest Department against Tourism Minister Sriramulu and suspended Bharatiya Janata Party MLC C. Janardhana Reddy.

The Forest and Police Departments had filed cases against Mr. Sriramulu and Mr. Reddy in connection with the Obalapuram mines in Bellary district. Both Mr. Sriramulu and Mr. Reddy had moved the High Court for quashing all further proceedings against them.

Justice Ramanna stayed the proceedings for four weeks and directed the State to file objections by two weeks. He then adjourned further hearing on the case.
Leased

The Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday informed the High Court that it had already executed a lease on land in Malleswaram in favour of the BJP.

The BBMP made this submission in a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by K. Satish and several others residents of Malleswaram. The petitioners, K. Satish and other residents of the area, had challenged the palike’s decision to allot land in Ward No. 5 in Malleswaram 1st Cross to the BJP to construct a party office.

The petitioners contended that the land could not have been given on lease as it is being used as a playground by the residents. They said though it was initially recommended to charge Rs. 2.65 lakh as monthly rent for the 9,000 sq. ft land, it was subsequently reduced to Rs. 12,000 a year. They also questioned the terms of the lease.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Anand Byrareddy directed both the palike and the Government to file details on the case and adjourned the case to September 13.