Land auction halted

Land auction halted
DH News Service, Bangalore:
The Revenue Department has halted the ongoing public auctioning of government land. A directive to this effect has been issued by the State Revenue Secretary to the Bangalore Urban District administration on December 3.

Auctions that had triggered widespread criticism over a host of issues like the low prices the land was fetching have been “temporarily” stopped, Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner M A Sadiq said on Thursday. “The direction we have is to stop the auctions, so that the department can re-classify the land and assess its value afresh,” Sadiq added.

The move is also seen as part of the State decision to allocate more encroachment-free government land to public utilities and government agencies. However, Sadiq pointed out that allocation of recovered land to government departments has started. Various government departments have raised more demands for land, confirmed the Deputy Commissioner.

It is learnt that around 3,000 acres of land had been earmarked for government agencies and departments, including the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Karnataka Housing Board, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Karnataka Slum Clearance Board and Mysore Sales International Limited. The agencies are expected to develop units/offices on the allocated land.

The revenue department had earlier allotted land to the Bangalore Development Authority as well.

With the auctioning process hindered, the fate of the already auctioned sites is also hanging in balance. Ever since the department commenced the auctions early this year, there have been demands to scrap the auctions and allocate land for the poor. The protesters had also alleged that the auctions were being monopolised by a builders’ syndicate.

The new move, sources said, has surfaced after a recent review meeting on the auctions headed by Additional Chief Secretary Neerja Rajkumar.