The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State seeks more time to furnish Bidar Fort records

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 16, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State seeks more time to furnish Bidar Fort records

Staff Reporter

Government and ASI challenge grant of land around the fort

The records might be traced in Hyderabad as Bidar was part of the Nizam territory
The beneficiaries claimed that the grant was as per the provisions of the Land Act

BANGALORE: The State Government on Saturday sought some more time from the Karnataka High Court for production of certain documents, particularly maps, relating to areas in and around the Bidar Fort.

The court had on the last occasion directed the government advocate to procure certain records of the land around the fort area.

The court was dealing with appeals by the State Government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) challenging the grant of a part of land around the fort by the Bidar Land Tribunal to some beneficiaries.

When the matter came up on Saturday, the Government advocate submitted that though he had communicated the orders of the court to the Deputy Commissioner of the district, the records, some of which date back to pre-Independence days, could not be traced in the office.

He further submitted that the records could probably be traced in Hyderabad as Bidar was part of the Nizam territory. He urged the court to grant time to procure the records.

He said he had already produced an original map of the fort and the surrounding areas. The beneficiaries of the land grant, however, contested the stand of the Government and the ASI and said the map was in their favour.

Appeal

While the ASI and the State are appealing against the grant of land, the beneficiaries are saying that the land belongs to them and that it has been granted to them as per the provisions of the Land Act.

Seeking quashing of the land grant, the ASI is contending that that the fort is a protected monument and that nobody or no agency can tamper with it or grant land around it. He said that the fort land could not have been granted under any circumstances.

Objection

The State has said that even though the Assistant Commissioner who is part of the tribunal had objected to the grant, the other members had gone ahead with the grant. While the ASI has urged the court to quash the grant saying that the fort is a heritage structure and that it must be protected, the State too has sought for quashing of the tribunal order.

The court adjourned further hearing on the case to December 19.

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