Upalokayukta wants details of Palike properties

Upalokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi has sought the details of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) properties, including leased ones, illegally occupied by private persons, and the revenue generated from these properties.

The notice was served on BBMP Commissioner G Kumar Naik following a complaint by social activist Saidatta who had alleged that the Palike had about 1,500 immovable properties, which were in the possession of private persons. He complained that although the lease period had expired in respect of several such properties, the Palike had not taken any action to recover them.

Saidatta stated in his complaint that the rent fixed for some of the commercial properties situated in prime areas had neither been renewed nor the lease-hold rights auctioned as per the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act. He stated that the Palike was incurring huge revenue loss running into crores of rupees.

Based on the complaint, Justice Adi sought to know how many properties the Palike owneds, how many of them were leased, their lease period and the renewal, revenue generated from them, mechanism adopted in case of commercial buildings to auction lease-hold rights by wide publication so as to attract higher bidding in the auction and the list of properties assessed and unassessed. He also sought to know whether the estate division of the Palike maintaineds online information about the properties.The Commissioner has been asked to furnish the details by December 10.