The Joint Legislative Committee on Land Encroachment on Tuesday recommended criminal action against members of Karnataka State Judicial Department Employees Housing Building Cooperative Society which allotted sites in illegal Judicial Layout in Allalasandra, Bangalore North Taluk.
Speaking to reporters, Committee Chairman MLA A T Ramaswamy referred to a 2001 verdict by the High Court in Mangalagauri vs Keshavamurthy case and said the Society’s act amounted to a more serious violation.
“The 2001 verdict said possession of agricultural land without government permission was itself a violation. The society has not only violated rule 79B of the Land Reforms Act but the fact is that the land is still in the name of the farmers,” he said. Pointing out that sewage had also been directed to Jakkur and Allalasandra lakes, Ramaswamy called upon Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to initiate action against the accused.
B Chikkaraju, under secretary, Revenue department (Land Reforms), has also sent a letter to the government on August 8, with details on the encroachment. The committee had earlier termed the Judicial Layout illegal, pointing out that the Society had violated the land reform and revenue laws. The Judicial Layout has 404 sites spread over 193 acres.
The High Court had on July 18 passed an interim order restraining the society from allotting sites in the Layout.
The order followed a public interest litigation by three former judges and employees of the department, alleging serious irregularities in the society’s functioning.