JOIN USLand leased out to Nimhans valid in law, rules HC
The State government acted as per law in leasing a piece of land in Bengaluru East taluk to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) in April 2013 for its northern campus, the High Court ruled on Wednesday.
Justice Anand Byrareddy asked nine residents, who laid claim to a portion of the 39.38 acres granted to Nimhans, to approach the Bengaluru Urban deputy commissioner and the jurisdictional civil court for redress of their grievance.
Thirumalappa and eight other residents of KR Puram had moved the court, contending that 17 acres in survey number 16, which was part of the land granted to Nimhans, belonged to them. They asserted that they were granted the land by the deputy commissioner in 1979. They also claimed to have got the mutation done.
Nimhans was leased the land in survey numbers 11 and 16 of Kyalasanahalli, KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, for setting up of its northern campus. The government described the documents produced by the petitioners as “baseless and fabricated”. The judge directed the petitioners to file their claims with the deputy commissioner and the civil court.
Biopharma office opposed
The High Court has ordered notices to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and biopharma company, Astra Zeneca India Pvt Ltd, on a petition that urged it to refrain the authorities from approving the plan of a commercial office the firm aims to build near Esteem Mall in Hebbal.
Shashank R, a resident of Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, Hebbal Kempapura, argued that the civic authorities must not allow the company to build the commercial establishment on 10 acres of land on the International Airport Road “without applying their mind”.
If the commercial establishment comes up, traffic would increase in the area, leading to encroachment on pedestrian and parking space and causing more chaos and road accidents, he contended. He urged a division bench of acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice Ravi Malimath to direct the civic agencies to seek public opinion and ensure that pedestrian space is not encroached upon.
Ordering the notices on Wednesday, the bench directed the respondents to file a statement of objections and adjourned the hearing until January 20.