JOIN USMembers of the City Municipal Council (CMC) debated the issue of encroachment of CMC properties in the city and arrived at a decision to form an all-party committee to identify such lands and prepare a list.
It is estimated that CMC properties, worth more than Rs 200 crore, is encroached upon and it was decided to initiate steps to protect them.
The issue came up for discussion on Monday, when the CMC met as a continuation of the June 16 general meeting.
The earlier meeting had to be continued because most of the issues listed in the agenda could not be taken up for discussion, as the meeting turned out to be platform for the CMC president and vice-president to level allegations against the commissioner.
Councillor Anil Kumar initiated the discussion on CMC properties by pointing out that a valuable piece of land, measuring 100 X 43 feet, next to the new KSRTC bus stand, is now a property of a private individual.
He alleged that a CMC staffer, Sathish Kumar, had forged documents pertaining to the land and had registered it in the name of an individual.
He demanded that Sathish Kumar be summoned to the council.
Sathish Kumar produced a couple of documents before the CMC and said that the site had been sanctioned under Ashraya scheme a few years ago.
“It has changed many hands now. All these developments have occurred before I was transferred to Hassan CMC. The authorities concerned can probe the issue, if I am found guilty, I can be dismissed,” he challenged.
Pointing out that there is no provision under Ashraya scheme to sanction such a huge site, the councillors demanded a probe into the dealings. Commissioner Krishnamurthy assured that the issue will be probed.
Anil Kumar raised another similar issue and alleged that a two and a half acre plot of land, adjoining the Beeranahalli lake, has been encroached upon.
“Some time back the encroachment on the same land had been cleared by the CMC itself. The CMC had opened a rehabilitation centre on the land for flood-affected victims.
Some government funds were also spent on the land for development of a park. It has been encroached upon again.
However, now, the officials say that the land does not belong to the CMC, but to a Grama Panchayat,” he pointed out.
Krishnamurthy clarified that the issue was before the court of law and there is an order to maintain status quo on the land.
The councillors said, the Commissioner should produce adequate documents before the court to protect the CMC property.
President Srividya Anand and vice-president Irshad Pasha were present.