Land record row: Residents file plaint against MUDA

Undersecretary to UDD, revenue secretary named in the complaint

The residents of Siddhartha Nagar and neighbouring areas - survey number 4 of Kurubarahalli - on Tuesday lodged complaint against three government officials with Nazarbad police for not addressing their problems relating to property documents for the past four years.

The complaints were lodged against Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner, undersecretary to the Urban Development department and Revenue Secretary.

Earlier, the residents, led by B P Manjunath, convener of Survey No 4 Hitharakshana Samithi and former chairman of Karnataka Exhibition Authority, took out a rally from Brigade Horizon Apartments (Male Mahadeshwara Road) on T Narsipur Road to the Nazarbad police station. They were accompanied by residents of Alanahalli, KC Nagar, Vidyanagar and Income Tax Layout under Alanahalli survey No 41.

Manjunath said the stalling of government action regarding the land records pertaining to Kurubarahalli survey no 4 and Alanahalli survey no 41 since nearly four years has caused great difficulty to the families of the property owners.

“Due to the inaction of the officials and their lack of knowledge, property owners in these areas have been facing legal impediments in getting the khata of their properties transferred, sell the properties or partitioning them or mortgaging them to raise loans. The Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is neither transferring khatas nor sanctioning plans to build houses. The MCC is not issuing NoC for mortgaging the properties,” he said.

Over 25,000 people had purchased the lands from MUDA in 1970 (then City Improvement Trust Board), but are yet to get the documents. Though the purchase was legal, the land owners are neither able to sell their houses nor could build extra floors since three years, owing to a series of errors committed by MUDA and Revenue department officials, the agitators complained.

“Title deeds were issued by MUDA and plans for the houses were also sanctioned. After the layouts were transferred to the MCC, it has been collecting house tax and water cess from the residents for the past 30 years in some of the layouts. Now, the entire land has been declared ‘B’  kharab by officials. We are not criminals and we have not encroached upon the land,” Manjunath said.

He said the residents had staged protests on eight occasions and gave many representations to the office of the deputy commissioner and MUDA. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had given oral orders to the district authorities to find a solution.

Nearly five months have passed since the chief minister’s orders, but the officials are not bothered, he added.

Deputy Mayor Rathna Lakshman, former deputy mayor Mahadevamma, NR Block BJP president Anand, S Murali were present.