Kurubarahalli site ownership row: BJP warns of stir on July 12

BJP national council member and convenor of Survey No 4 Hitharakshana Samithi, B P Manjunath, warned the district administration and the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) of intensified protest on July 12 if the issue of ownership of sites in Survey No 4 of Kurubarahalli in the city is not resolved.

Addressing reporters on Friday, he said that efforts have been made by the residents of Siddhartha Layout, Alanahalli Layout, K C Layout, J C Layout and Income Tax Layout in the city, under a couple of organisations, to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to resolve their problem. “MLA M K Somasekhar, District in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered several assurances to the aggrieved residents of solving the problem. However, they have done nothing in this direction and are putting the lives of over 30,000 residents in a limbo. These leaders are playing politics in this issue. Most of the residents in these areas are educated middle-class people and both the corporators representing them are from the BJP, Mahadevamma and Vanitha Prasanna. So, they are neglecting the people,” he said.

“According to a Supreme Court order, if a person pays tax for a piece of land for 13 years, he becomes the owner of the land. The residents of these areas are paying taxes for the past 28 years. Moreover, the lands have been alloted by MUDA, a government agency. If MUDA lands become bogus and are declared as ‘B’ Kharab lands overnight, who should the people trust for buying lands and houses,” he questioned.

“We are not fighting for the sites on a private layout or revenue sites. We are fighting for the sites which have been alloted under a proper process by a government agency. We are fighting for the people who have purchased the sites and have constructed houses legally. If the people’s representatives, including Education Minister Tanveer Sait, have any concern for the people, they should resign and join our protest for justice,” he said.

BJP leaders Prasanna, Jagadish and Hemanth were also present.