JOIN USHigh Court asks Lokayukta to probe KIADB dealings
Hearing a petition filed by Ramaiah and three others, all residents of Hoskote taluk, Justice D V Shylendra Kumar ordered for a Lokayukta inquiry into the alleged land scam and observed: “It has become necessary for this court to issue directions for a Lokayukta inquiry as there are repeated allegations against persons holding the post of special land acquisition officer in the KIADB.”
“It has come to the notice of this court that the State government and the Board have been acting in the most arbitrary, erratic manner while acquiring private lands for public purpose. The Lokayukta is already looking into related cases. It is not as though this court can approve of such arbitrary, erratic, whimsical conduct of public authorities and more often such conduct is influenced by corruption, nepotism and favouritism,” the court said.
The petitioner Ramaiah, owner of land (survey number 40) at Bandikodigehalli village in Bangalore North taluk, had moved the High Court stating that the KIADB officials had disbursed compensation of Rs 1.24 lakh to two persons Anjanappa and Srinivasa Murthy.
The petitioners had stated that the special land acquisition officer had illegally and arbitrarily disbursed the compensation to the respondents.
In another case, the same court ordered a Lokayukta inquiry into the illegal disbursement of Rs 22.17 lakh compensation for the petitioner’s land, to a third party. The KIADB had acquired 11 guntas of land in survey number 57/7 at Srigandhadakaval village, Yeshwanthpur.
Erring BDA officials
In another case, the court suspected the BDA officials of conniving with G M Nena Lal, resident of Magadi Road, who was given higher compensation for his industrial shed.
Observing that the land located by the river Vrushabavathi, the court said: “There cannot be any private ownership of lands in the vicinity of a river. The BDA passing the awards to the petitioners appears to be illegal.”