HC slams Govt for land 'golmaal'

The Chief Justice made the comment while hearing a public interest litigation filed by some farmers from Doddaballapur against the revenue officials for allotting Gomala land to some private persons. Of the 60 acres and 14 guntas of Gomala land in Madurai village of Doddaballapur, 20 acres were given to five persons in 1972, and another 10 acres to 10 persons in 1978.

Recently, the revenue officials decided to allot the remaining 30 acres of Gomala land to private individuals. Fifteen residents of the village approached the High Court seeking direction to the revenue officials not to give away the village commons.

The Division Bench of Justice Khehar and Justice A S Bopanna observed that the Gomala land is meant to provide fodder to the cattle of poor farmers. “The one or two cattle poor people have are the source of their livelihood,” Justice Khehar remarked, directing the Doddaballapur Tahsildar not to meddle with the Gomala land and protect it as common property resource.