Revenue dept must update House panel on survey of lakes, says Koliwad

The Revenue Department, which is conducting an extensive survey of lakes in Bengaluru, has been directed to update the Joint House Committee on Tank Encroachment headed by senior MLA K B Koliwad every 15 days about the progress.

A three-month deadline has been given to the department to survey as many as 1,178 lakes in Bengaluru. Koliwad said on Saturday that in the interim report of the committee, the department had been asked to give elaborate details on encroachments on each lake, if any, the extent of encroachment, whether the government agencies or private builders had encroached upon the land and whether or not it could be revived.

The committee has called a meeting in the second week of June to discuss the interim report which would be submitted after taking consent from all its members. “Our aim is to protect innocent dwellers and ensure that land-grabbers involved in selling these properties are punished,” Koliwad said.

According to a member, it has been brought to the notice of the committee that in the process of demolishing commercial complexes in Banaswadi, a few homes were also brought down. The committee would suggest that compensation be given to the families immediately.

Members of Civil Front, who met Koliwad on Saturday, demanded that the original grabbers be identified. In a seven-point appeal, they demanded that a special court be set up to look into these issues, compensation be given to the innocent, applications pending before the Revenue Department under sections 94(A) and 94(C) be disposed at the earliest and the land of the acquired lakes be converted into areas of public utility.