The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Huts come up on BMP property

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 01, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Huts come up on BMP property

Afshan Yasmeen

Civic body on the verge of losing over 7 acres of land at Sigehalli

NO MAN'S LAND?: Huts that have been allegedly built on BMP land at Sigehalli on Magadi Road on the outskirts of Bangalore. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: A four-year delay by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) in utilising a seven-acre piece of land allotted by the State Government in Sigehalli for setting up a dumping yard has resulted in the civic body losing the land. Residents of nearby villages have put up hundreds of huts on this property.

While the BMP is yet to wake up to recover its property, the "new owners" are up in arms to protect their recently acquired property.

According to estimates, the market value of the property, which is just 10 km away from the city, is over Rs. 30 crores.

Responding to a requisition made by the BMP, the State Government allotted 111.31 acres of gomal land at Kannahalli (29 acres), Sigehalli (7.31 acres), Geddadahalli (50 acres) and Medi Agrahara (25 acres), for setting up dumping yards and crematoria through a Government Order of February 1, 2000. The land was allotted on lease for 30 years at Rs. 1,000 an acre annually.

In 2001, the BMP marked and fenced the entire land to ensure that it is protected. The civic body announced that work on the dumping yards will start soon. But the matter was forgotten.

Although BMP Commissioner K. Jothiramalingam, said that all encroachments on Sigehalli land will be cleared and the property will be used for setting up a transfer station for garbage, members of Dalit Sangarsha Samithi (DSS), who have taken up the cause of the villagers, are determined to prevent the acquisition.

"As per the lease agreement, the BMP had to use the land for the purpose it was allotted within two years of the allotment. It is five years, but the BMP has done nothing. We will launch an agitation to get back the land to the villagers, who are the rightful owners," said DSS members Thammaiah and D Jayanna.

Alleging that the Government was auctioning land earmarked for "villagers' use in the pani (land documents)", the members said they will fight for the cause of the "rightful owners".

It is not that the BMP does not know that it is losing its property.

The former president of Bangalore North Taluk Taluk Panchayat B. Pusphavatamma wrote to the BMP Commissioner on October 7 alleging that the Sigehalli land has been encroached upon. In the letter, she even named persons who allegedly encroached the land. Govindrajnagar corporator G. Krishnappa raised the matter in a recent BMP Council meeting. Mr. Jothiramalingam told The Hindu on Wednesday that he had directed his officials to inspect the area, examine the documents and report to him within two days.

"If the land has been encroached, we will definitely recover it.

"As the area is not suitable for setting up a dumping yard, we will set up a transfer station there," he added.

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