Sites grabbed right under MCC's nose

Corporators raise 'inefficiency' of MCC legal officials at council meeting

Members of the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) raised complaints of vested interests forging documents and encroaching upon sites within MCC limits, here, on Monday. The members alleged that this has been possible due to ‘inefficiency’ of lawyers, who represent the MCC.

Discussing the issue of appointment of legal officers for MCC, Shivamadu, Corporator from Ward 28, said documents related to a site were forged and the dispute was later taken to the court. “Despite the MCC owning several tracts of land, its legal representatives are not in a position to prove that the lands belong to the MCC. The vested interests have forged documents.

The problem has compounded as lawyers representing the MCC do not appear before the court,” he said. A comprehensive survey must be taken up to realise the lands grabbed by forging documents, he said.

Corporator Sandesh Swamy blamed the lawyers for not furnishing the documents provided by the MCC about lands in disputes in courts, aiding the encroachers to win the cases. MCC members directed the officials to compile a list of cases related to land disputes and take steps to acquire MCC land.

It was noted that only one person had responded to an advertisement issued to recruit a legal officer for MCC.

The sole applicant, a retired District Sessions judge Siddegowda was then appointed as a legal officer on contract basis for a period of one year.

MLA Vasu, who was present in the meeting, objected to this decision by the MCC and said that another advertisement should be issued in newspapers, so as to attract more applicants, before appointing a legal officer.

However, it was decided to continue with the legal officer for the contract period.

Illegal bus-shelters

Illegal bus-shelters, which have been allegedly constructed by private parties without the consent of the MCC, was discussed. “Bus-shelters have been built on footpaths. The private parties are getting revenue from advertisements,” the members alleged. The members demanded an explanation from officials, how such illegal bus-shelters existed. Some Corporators were for demolishing all illegal bus-shelters.

PPP Model

Executive Engineer Krishna Bovi said, the shelters were constructed under PPP model by the KSRTC. “There has been no financial commitment for the MCC,” he said.

However, Corporators pointed out that about 15 illegal bus-shelters were demolished during the tenure of M R Ravi as commissioner. Krishna said, action will be taken against illegal bus-shelters ‘soon’.

Corporator Nandish Preetham suggested that the illegal shelters can be acquired by the MCC and used to generate revenue for the MCC. Mayor N M Rajeshwari, Deputy Mayor V Shailendra and MCC Commissioner P G Ramesh were present.