Fresh survey of vacant govt land

Fresh survey of vacant govt land
By R Krishnakumar,DH News Service,Bangalore:
The Department will take up a fresh survey of vacant government land across the Bangalore Urban district to frame a new land value database for the district.

After feeling the heat over alleged under-bidding during the auctioning of government land in Bangalore, the State Revenue Department is mulling damage control.

The Department will take up a fresh survey of vacant government land across the Bangalore Urban district to frame a new land value database for the district.

A senior department official told Deccan Herald on Wednesday that the survey proposal was among the reasons that triggered an abrupt end to the public auctioning of government land freed from encroachment in Bangalore, early this month. “Through the survey, we propose to demarcate government land in the district in three categories: A (very valuable), B (of moderate value) and C (of low value),” the official said.

The survey is expected to be independent of the existing system of property guidance values, prescribed by the Department of Stamps and Registration. The Revenue Department had drawn criticism over making the government-prescribed guidance values (that are way below the running market rates) as the basis for the auctioning price. The government had brought the auctions to a halt through a directive on December 3.

The district administration will be entrusted with the marking and assessment of land. The land-marking exercise in this connection is tipped to be taken up in the coming months. The official, however, said the survey would be extensive and the department was yet to arrive at a timeframe and deadlines. The officials maintained that the auctions had been stopped only “temporarily”. However, the developers and individuals who have confirmed the bids will have to wait before they can take absolute possession of the land.

“We are refunding bidders who have won auctions that didn’t fetch the expected price. Those who have confirmed bids to their names will have to wait,” Shantappa, Special Deputy Commissioner (Enforcement) said.
Around 600 acres of land have been auctioned so far, with the total bid amount exceeding Rs 600 crore. The fate of these winning bids will also depend on a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Karnataka High Court against the auctions. The PIL will be heard next in the first week of January.


VALUE ADDITION

* Three land categories mooted, based on values
* Survey to be independent of guidance values
* Auction of govt land freed from encroachment stopped only temporarily
* Over 600 acres of land auctioned so far