MYSORE: A non-governmental organisation here has accused the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) of violating a court order with respect to compliance with lease of land agreement.

In a press release issued here on Wednesday, the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) pointed out that many organisations had obtained large tracts of land at a concessional price from the MUDA (and CITB which preceded MUDA) for the purpose of running educational, religious and charitable institutions.

The MGP claimed that many buildings, which had come up on these sites, had not been utilised for their avowed purpose, and instead had been rented out to commercial establishments, thus violating the terms of site allotment.

Though the MGP had complained to the MUDA several times on such violations, the latter took no action forcing it to file a public interest litigation petition in the High Court.

The MGP pointed out that a case in point was the issue pertaining to 10.65 acres of land obtained next to the ESI Hospital on KRS Road for construction of a choultry.

But a portion of the land had been leased out for 25 years at Rs. 4,000 a month to set up a petrol station.

The MGP alleged that consequent to the lease, several trees had been felled and the area was being levelled to build a petrol bunk following which the MGP sent a legal notice to the MUDA bringing to its attention the fact that the agreement between the trust and the CITB had been violated.

B. Vaikuntha Shenoy of the MGP said the terms and conditions stipulated that the land could be used only for construction of kalyana mantap, educational, religious, health, medical and other charitable institutions and no portion of the schedule land could be sublet to anybody.

Other condition stipulated was that the construction work would commence within three years from the date of taking possession of the site, and the MGP argued that since these conditions had been violated, the MUDA should take back the land as the original agreement was now null and void.

But the MUDA ignored the notice forcing the MGP to file a petition.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice A.S. Bopanna directed the MUDA to look into the grievances raised by the MGP. It directed the MUDA to take action within three months.

It also directed the Commissioner of MUDA to intimate the action taken to the MGP.

Mr. Shenoy said though three months was over, the MUDA failed to initiate any action. Hence, he had decided to bring this to the court's notice.

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