Land grab: BJP charges against Bagepalli Town Municipality

As many as 64 civic amenity sites have been encroached

The members, who started their march from National College assembled in front of the Taluk Office, raising slogans against the Town Municipal Council and demanding to supersede the local body for its failure in protecting public properties.

Addressing the protesters Taluk Unit president Dr G S Chowda Reddy said there were 64 sites in the TMC limits reserved for parks and other civic amenities, while forming layouts.

However, the sites worth crores of rupees now remain only on paper. The sites have been grabbed by some “influential” persons in collusion with TMC officials. Even buildings have been constructed on such sites and thus no site is available for the municipality for public work he alleged.

Reddy further alleged that some sitting and former councillors have got the khata of sites changed into their names. Buildings are being constructed on all the government land and the TMC has remained a mute spectator to land grabbing. He said the khata of site belonging to Kannada Kala Sangha has been changed in the name of a sitting councillor and displayed some documents to corroborate his allegations.

“Corruption has reached its zenith and irregularities have become a norm in the Town Municipality” he alleged and demanded criminal action against land grabbers and officials who supported such illegal activity. The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar. K R Anjinappa, G V Krishnaiah, S T Babu and others took part.