Plaint against BDA, revenue officials for 'illegal' land transfer

A complaint has been filed with the Lokayukta police against officials of the revenue department and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) alleging that they had illegally transferred BDA land to four private persons.

The land in question is at survey number 105 of Doddathogur village in Begur, Bengaluru South taluk.

The complaint by Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), an NGO, stated that out of 10 acres and 22 guntas of BDA land, 10 acres and four guntas had been allotted to private persons from 2010 till 2016. These private persons are ‘benami’ for realtors and politicians, the complaint stated.

According to a complaint in 2007, gomala land was transferred to the BDA for building houses for the poor  displaced during eviction drives on several government lands in the past 10 years.

Only 18 guntas left
“The market value of the land around is Rs 150 crore. The first allotment to a private person happened in 2010 when Ramanjaneya was the special deputy commissioner. Two acres and 24 guntas were transferred to Annayyappa. Subsequently, four acres were allotted to Mariyappa, one acre and 20 guntas to K D Changappa and two acres to Gangappa, till 2016. As a result, the BDA now has only 18 guntas left in this survey number. The real purpose of transferring the gomala land to the BDA has been systematically usurped by unscrupulous elements. Unauthorised construction and formation of layout is going on rampantly on these lands,” co-president of JSP Adarsh R Iyer said.

The complaint stated that despite its land being transferred to private persons, the BDA had not taken any action.

Complaint filed
JSP has filed the complaint with ADGP Lokayukta Dr S Parashiva Murthy and also Upalokayukta Justice N Ananda.

“Revenue officials like special deputy commissioners, village accountants, revenue inspectors, deputy tahsildars and tahsildars are responsible for all the illegal transfer of land in survey number 105. The BDA officials have deliberately failed to prevent the illegal transfer of the lands, causing a huge loss to the State exchequer. We understand that many people have bought sites in the illegal layouts formed on this land by a resident of Mylasandra in Begur hobli. We have requested the ADGP to launch a criminal investigation into the issue,” Iyer said.