HC censures govt for giving college land to slum board

The High Court has censured the Karnataka Slum Development Board for building houses for slum dwellers on a land that was originally allotted for the campus of Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences.

Hearing a petition by the institute, acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee remarked: “How can you allow this to happen? The government cannot have slums on Commercial Street and MG Road. You cannot demolish houses and set up structures for slum dwellers. You are encouraging people in illegality and encroachment. Find out the alternative. Ask the people to vacate and those who refuse to vacate should be thrown out.”

The acting chief justice, along with Justice B V Nagarathna, formed the division bench which is hearing the matter. The institute had moved the court against encroachments on the land allotted to it way back in 1979. It informed the court that the board had built structurers on the land.

The bench categorically told the board that it cannot have slums wherever it wants. The court directed the State government to ask the board when it can return the land to the institute. The government counsel was directed to get instructions within a week.