Bill to regularise houses on govt land approved

Not applicable to towns and cities; Opposition criticises Bill in Council

The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2012, to regularise unauthorised houses built on government land in places other than towns and cities, was approved in both Houses of the legislature on Thursday.

While members across parties welcomed the bill in the Assembly, it drew flak from the Opposition in the Council. Members in the Assembly demanded that the government should bring unauthorised houses in urban areas in the ambit of the Bill, so that the urban poor can also benefit. The government turned down the demand, but promised a separate bill for urban areas.

The bill drew flak from the Opposition parties in the Council, where it was termed an election gimmick by the ruling party. They said if the government failed to specify exceptions, land sharks would benefit from the proposed Act. No government land would be available if the Bill was passed as it is, they said, demanding that a proper survey of the lands be conducted.

They said that the proposed Act should not be misused and that the government should ensure that the beneficiaries were poor villagers and landless farmers.

In his reply in the Council, Revenue Minister K S Eshwarappa said his department had made some amendments taking into consideration suggestions by the Opposition members. Houses built on area not more than 40x60 sq ft would be regularised.

The suggestion by the Opposition leaders not to allow regularisation of multi-storey buildings has been accepted. Eshwarappa said houses with two or more floors would not be regularised.

He said houses on government lands within a 18-km radius of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, 10-km radius of city corporations, five-km radius of CMCs and three-km radius of town panchayats would not be regularised. 

The minister said the eligibility criteria adopted under Ashraya scheme would be followed while regularising the houses.

Those houses built before January 2012 are eligible for regularisation. The other conditions are: applicants should not have other houses, the houses should not be on sites proposed for construction of roads, drains, parks, playgrounds or other civic amenities.