HOW CAN WE CRACK DOWN ON LAND ENCROACHMENT?

HOW CAN WE CRACK DOWN ON LAND ENCROACHMENT?
Tackle encroachment on war footing Readers are of the view that A T Ramaswamy Committee report should be implemented to check the land-grabbing menace

Guilty officials and people’s representatives must be held responsible
Without the connivance of the officials of urban development, Lake Development Authority and BDA, the land mafia couldn’t have descended on Bangalore. By going through the land records, existing lakes, civic amenity sites as well as forest lands on the peripheral area of Bangalore, it is very easy for the land survey department to identify the culprits and punish them severely. As far as lakes are concerned, after evicting the encroachers, they may be double fenced. Vigilance should be beefed up. I R GURU RAO
The blame is to be apportioned by the authorities supposed to monitor. As the saying goes: one cannot clap with one hand. Likewise, encroachment could not have taken place without the connivance of certain officials. When each ward or division has adequate staff, should it not be its duty to check what is going on in the jurisdiction? The higher echelons, with support from the government, should punish the guilty in case of any dereliction of duty. I H P MURALI
Ward councillors and residents should be involved and held responsible for all land transactions. I NAGARAJ
Without the tacit support of officials of the respective ward, the councillor and MLA of the constituency, no land encroachment is possible. So, the best way to prevent land sharks is to make the guilty officials and elected representatives responsible for their areas. The officials concerned should be dismissed from service. I PRASANNA KUMAR D R
Implement A R Ramaswamy Committee
report
It was during the regime of BJP-JD(S) coalition government that A T Ramaswamy Committee prepared a huge list comprising names of encroachers in and around Bangalore. The list was submitted to the then government. People thought that the list would be honoured and government-owned lands would be retransferred to the government. But, unfortunately, the report did not see the light of the day as the same was kept in a cold storage — the reason for which is best known to the government. If the newly formed government is really interested to give life to the sincere effort put forth by A T Ramaswamy, it is certain the government will benefit as thousands of acres of lands will come to its possession. I B S RAGHAVENDRA RAO
Land encroachment should be tackled on a war footing. A special fast track court should be established to settle encroachment cases so as to avoid stay orders and adjournment. The punishment must be severe. Immediately, A T Ramaswamy Committee report is to be implemented without any delay. I M N KESARI
Stringent enforcement of law
Zero tolerance, with strict laws and take immediate action. I HARMIT
Enforce stringent penal action against encroachers. Without any political hindrance, the A T Ramaswamy Committee report should be implemented to curb encroachment. I N B VISHWANATH
It is well-known that all illegal encroachments are due to the nexus between politicians of all hues and corrupt bureaucrats, revenue officers of lower cadre and builder contractors. All are in the game knowing fully well no action will be taken. It is only possible if an honest and strong deputy commissioner is appointed for each district, and given a free hand to punish revenue officers who help land grabbers. During the British period, the
district collector was all powerful and responsible for all land and revenue problems in the district. Illegal land occupation was unheard of. I MIRLE S SITA RAM
More stringent law is a must for control land mafia. I KAVITA
Encroachment can be checked by continuous assessment of land by the owners, and if an encroacher is found, legal action should be taken against him. I VIA SMS
People who bring out fabricated documents to claim ownership of somebody’s genuine property, including vacant land, must be dealt with sternly. Severe punishment must be given to officials concerned as well as those who violate the law to make illegal documents and constructions. All verification must be made at the grass-root level itself. I P A SUKUMARAN
The authorities must be alert and prevent land encroachment. To avoid corruption, land owners should not violate rules and regulations. I VIMALA KESARI
There should be some investigating board, which will work diligently and hold those people accountable for violating the law. I PRASHANTH KASAL
A dedicated team must deal with land sharks. They must be authorized to bring down illegal constructions. Building plans must be scrutinized; only then should permission be given for construction. Hefty fines must be imposed on offenders. I TARUN K JAIN
Regular spot inspection by BBMP officials, BDA and revenue department on ongoing construction works at vacant sites can check land encroachment. All illegal constructions should be brought down or sealed. Imprisonment of such offendors will definitely prevent others. I S SUNDARA
New state govt should take action with an
iron hand
Encroachments cannot happen without involvement of politicians and bureaucrats. The encroachers are very powerful and it requires political will to axe them. Hence, newly elected minister-in-charge of municipal affairs S Suresh Kumar should tackle these land sharks with an iron hand. Also, unless Lok Ayukta is fully empowered to prosecute and punish these encroachers and corrupt officials, encroachments cannot be checked.
I M B VENKATESH
Residents should be more alert
Locals can take a decisive role in weeding out this menace as they are the first ones to know of any development in their locality. They can alert law-enforcing agencies as and when they smell something fishy. Secondly, the land shark-politician nexus needs to be dismantled. It is because of this that many illegal constructions are given the green signal and land-use patterns are flouted. Last but not the least, people’s civic sense level needs to be elevated. I ANANDA CHINGANGBAM
First and foremost, touts in the registrar office have to be done away with. Before registering a property, the authorities must visit the site to verify and ensure that there are no irregularities. Periodic visits to the site must be done to ensure that there is no deviation from the plan. Enable the use of technology so that anyone can view property details before buying it, and also a forum where citizens can post information about encroachments and get appropriate response. I PADMANBAHAN
Requires meticulous measurement
With the help of qualified surveyors, proper sketches of properties should be prepared after careful and meticulous measurement. All these basic documents should be preserved by land owners as well as local authorities of the area like corporation, municipality or panchayat. Any trespassers on these properties are to be stopped by immediate intervention of the authorities concerned with the help of police, if necessary. Immediate action should be initiated without giving room to any complications. I A CHANDRASEKHAR NAIK
First and foremost, touts in the registrar office have to be done away with. Before registering a property, the authorities must visit the site to verify and ensure that there are no irregularities. Periodic visits to the site must be done to ensure that there is no deviation from the plan. Enable the use of technology so that anyone can view property details before buying it, and also a forum where citizens can post information about encroachments and get appropriate response. I PADMANBAHAN