BPL land row: Farmers file complaint against Katta, KIADB

Farmers of Sompura village in Nelamangala taluk of Bengaluru Rural district have filed a complaint with the Lokayukta against former Industries minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for allowing BPL India Ltd to use industrial land for real estate benefit.

The complaint filed by Kempanna, a resident of Bharatipura in Sompura, stated that the original land owners deserved further compensation as BPL, which was into manufacturing of television sets, failed to provide employment to the family members of the land losers.

KIADB had allotted 149 acres and 5.5 guntas in Sompura village to BPL in 1995 for setting up manufacturing units of colour picture tubes nd batteries. The villagers were awarded a compensation of Rs 1.1 lakh per acre, while the barren land was sold to BPL for Rs 3.80 lakh per acre. KIADB had laid down certain conditions in the lease deed which mandated BPL to submit blue print within one month, complete the construction of the factory within 20 months and mandatorily provide employment to the family members of the land losers in the factories.

“Around 60 families lost land. However, BPL did not use more than five acres and our requests for more compensation was also turned down by KIADB stating that BPL would provide jobs to our family members. In 2004, KIADB also allowed mortgage of land to raise loans from Bank of Baharain and Kuwait. Next year, BPL requested KIADB to execute an absolute sale deed in its favour,” Kempanna said.

On this requisition, KIADB issued a show cause notice to BPL asking why lands could not be restored in view of the latter using only 5.5% of the land. BPL then approached the then Minister for Large and Medium Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu requesting him to direct KIADB to ‘unconditionally’ execute the sale deed. On the directions of the minister, KIADB executed the sale deed in 2006.

The complainants have produced sale deeds executed by the BPL, which showed that 16 years after the lands were allotted to start industry, BPL sold the entire 149 acres and 5.5 guntas to different industries for a whopping Rs 350 crore. “The agricultural lands were acquired by KIADB to allow BPL to start industry and also provide jobs to locals. Without starting any industry, BPL made real estate business while the minister and KIADB helped it make windfall profit. We have requested the Lokayukta to recover the money from BPL and provide jobs or further compensation ot farmers,” Kempanna said.