In Bengaluru, encroachers don't even spare hillocks

Fresh encroachment of two hillocks and a pasture land (gomala) in the Bengaluru South taluk by some powerful people has been reported.

Sources in the district administration said at least 11 acres and 30 guntas of land in survey number 65 of Halage Vaderahalli in Kengeri hobli near Rajarajeshwari Nagar has been encroached upon.

The said stretch of land is a hillock of single hard granite, where nothing can be grown but some revenue officials connived with the land grabbers to change it to a pasture land in the government records and thereby facilitate its auction.

While four acres have been sold to a private developer through auction, the rest has been encroached upon by some influentials. While khata for the land in question has been issued, the process of converting the land for residential purposes is underway.
Assistant Commissioner of Bengaluru South sub-division L C Nagaraj wrote to the deputy commissioner on March 3, this year, requesting him to cancel the ownership of the land acquired illegally by some individuals and to the land into government’s custody.

In his letter, Nagaraj said, “The land in survey number 65 is a 'B' kharab land, since it is a 'hill rock'. Being a hard rock it is an uncultivable land. Hence, no agriculture activity can take place. When such is the case, some people fraudulently got this hillock allotted under the 'Grow More Food' (GMF) scheme and reflected the same in the Column-9 of the records of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC). There is no provision for allotting a hillock under GMF or gift it under the Inam scheme.”

Yet another case

Another encroachment of 25 acres of land at Hanumagiri Hill in Arehalli has been reported. Sources said those, who had encroached upon the Chikka Kallasandra Lake, are involved in this encroachment too and they have put up sheds around the hill. A major builder too is suspected to have a share of at least seven to eight acres in the encroachment. These encroachers have put up sheds there and 'allotted' them to the slum dwellers.

Pasture land encroached

Similarly in Begur, an influential politician, who is into the real estate and granite mining business, has encroached about 33 acres of pasture land, said sources in the district administration. They added that the land has not been granted to any individual under any government scheme but fence and a signboard has been put up and some sheds have also come up there.