The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : HC reserves verdict on KIADB land acquisition

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Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

HC reserves verdict on KIADB land acquisition

Staff Reporter

Acquisition of 12,000 acres of land in and around Bangalore questioned
The judge had sought report from the KIADB for land acquired in five years

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday reserved orders on appeals by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and the State Government against a single judge order directing the board to maintain status quo on the acquisition of land for industrial purposes in and around Bangalore city and in Bangalore rural and urban districts and not to allot the land.

The single judge had referred the issue of acquisitions by the KIADB to the Lokayukta for a comprehensive probe.

He had taken to task the board for indiscriminately acquiring more than 12,000 acres of agricultural land in and around Bangalore city and Bangalore district and directed it to maintain status quo and not go ahead with acquisition proceedings.

The single judge, Justice Huluvadi G. Ramesh, reminded the board that he had directed it to give a status report on March 26 on the extent of land acquired in the last five years (from 2002), lands allotted to the beneficiaries and lands that had been acquired but remained unutilised.He had said that the petition by a silk unit challenging the action of the KIADB in seeking to take back land allotted to it was more in the nature of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition and that it needed to be heard by a Division Bench.

The single judge had referred the matter to the first Bench headed by the Chief Justice. He had asked the KIADB not to go ahead with any acquisition proceedings. Aggrieved by the single judge order, the board and the State had appealed before a Vacation Bench in May.

The matter was heard by a regular Division Bench before being posted before a Special Bench comprising Justice S.R. Bannurmath and Justice Jawad Rahim.

In their appeal, the board and the State said single judge had arbitrarily stayed the acquisition of lands. It said the lands were acquired on behalf of the Government and it was for industrial development.

When the matter came up on Friday, the State and the respondents advanced arguments. The Bench then posted the case for orders.

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