The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Officials slammed for land encroachment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 12, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Officials slammed for land encroachment

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy said here on Thursday that the officials were mainly responsible for the large-scale encroachment and misuse of government land in and around Bangalore.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the Revenue Department building on the taluk office premises here, Mr. Kumaraswamy said of the 1,18,000 acres of government land in the city and outskirts had been unearthed and this was not a small issue.

"The Revenue Department should look into this matter seriously and action should be taken against offenders as soon as possible," he said. Such large-scale land grabbing could not have been possible without the connivance of government officials. "Lake beds have been encroached and buildings have come up on these lands," Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa reiterated the need for government officials to be more responsive to the needs of the public who approached them for help.

Laxminarayan, Karnataka Housing Board Commissioner, said that the Khandaya Bhavan building would have eight floors and would house all the Revenue Department offices under one roof. The Government had sold one acre of land to National Agricultural Bank for Reconstruction and Development (NABARD) at market value of Rs. 21 crore and this would be used to finance the construction of Khandaya Bhavan.

Revenue Minister Jagdish Shettar announced that the e-governance initiative, "Nemmadi," would be available in 800 hoblis by January-end. "Nemmadi" telecentres on the lines of the "Bhoomi" programme enable villagers to not only get land records but also avail of 31 other services.

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