BBMP loses Rs 250 crore in RR Nagar khata scam

Palike officials issued hundreds of deeds to layouts formed illegally on govt land, parks

 Yet another scam has surfaced in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

Real estate developers, in connivance with Palike officials, issued khatas (deeds) for layouts that were formed by encroaching upon government land and lakes in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone. The scam caused huge losses to the Palike as well as the State Exchequer.
The scam is not exactly a new discovery but its enormity came to the fore only recently when members of the BBMP’s Standing Committee on Personnel and Administrative Reforms went on an inspection and chanced upon the mismatch in khatas and the approved layouts.

The members had conducted the inspection at various zonal offices two months ago after receiving complaints of irregularities in the BBMP’s welfare and revenue department in the RR Nagar zone.

M Krishnappa, chairperson of the committee, told a press conference on Wednesday, “The BBMP has suffered a loss of Rs 250 crore due to the irregularities. Five revenue officers from RR Nagar—Basavaraju (former revenue inspector), Chandrashekhar (assistant revenue officer), Ramesh and Munaf (first division clerks) and Bheemappa (former joint commissioner)—are responsible for issuing khatas illegally.”

Krishnappa said that the committee would file a complaint with the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force ( BMTF) through Palike Commissioner M Lakshminarayana, requesting it to file criminal cases against the culprits.
According to the committee, hundreds of khatas were issued directly to individuals, including JD(S) leader K Bagegowda and industrialist RN Shetty.

“Palike officials issued khatas for nearly 66 acres of land, belonging to R N Shetty, his relatives and the R N Shetty Trust in RR Nagar, in a single day. The officials didn’t collect any documents or betterment charges.

Khatas have been issued even for Kharab land that includes park space. Similarly, in ward No 129, Kenchenahalli, Survey Nos 42, 43 and 43/3, khata were issued illegally for hundreds of spare sites. A total of ten acres and 30 guntas of land that is not converted, belonging to Bagegowda, has been given khata,” Krishnappa added.

Nagapura corporator and committee member S Harish said that the JD(S) leader owned a total of 20 acres of land in the above surveys but got conversion done only for ten acres so far.

Besides, welfare officer from RR Nagar, Abhishek Aditya, was found guilty of misusing education funds.

k“The money earmarked for providing amenities BBMP schools was misused,” Krishnappa said.

The committee also blamed Palike Commissioner M Lakshminarayana for re-posting Nanjappa Veerappa to the CV Raman Nagar division as Assistant Executive Engineer despite charges and irregularities being framed against him.

The Palike commissioner, however, said that he would take action only after going through the documents. According to him, he has complete records of the controversial Maharaja Complex on KG Road but hasn’t seen the place physically.