HC orders notice to govt on land encroachments

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday ordered notice to the State government in connection with an interlocutory application seeking CBI inquiry against several public servants for allegedly facilitating encroachment of government land.

Petitioner S R Hiremath, a social activist, had alleged that the State government suffered losses to the tune of around Rs 20,000 crore due to encroachment of government land in Bangalore. 

He had cited the example of former mayor D Venkatesh Murthy and his wife Prabha who were allocated four acres of land each at Somanahalli village in Uttarahalli hobli of Bangalore South taluk under the Bagair Hukum land scheme stating they were landless farm labourers, way back in 2004.

The petitioner submitted that former deputy chief minister Ashoka headed the Bagair Hukum land grant committee and had allotted land not only in favour of Murthys but also other individuals who are economically well-off persons.

The scheme was not applicable in 18-km radius of municipal limits, it led to rapid encroachment of thousands of acres, he said. 

Hiremath has sought a CBI inquiry or an inquiry by any other independent agency in this regard. The division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice B V
 Nagarathna ordered notice to the State government.

The application was filed in a petition seeking a direction to clear encroachments on government and forest land in the State. The Court has formed a committee to look into the matter.