Residents demand khatas; resort to 'Gandhigiri'

With placards and roses, they submit memorandum

Armed with placards and roses, over 50 residents submitted a memorandum to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner Siddaiah urging him to give a written order directing the officers to issue the khata.

The residents alleged that the problem of over 600 residents were a direct reflection of the conspiracy between the MLA of Rajarajeshwari Nagar (R R Nagar), the Resident Welfare Association and the BBMP officials.

They claimed that the officials have denied them the khata despite a civil court ruling in favour of them and the Lokayukta legitimising the sites. However, the officials still claim that the land (65 odd acre) on which the layout is developed belongs to the Government.

According to one of the residents: “About 90 residents have managed to get the khata after paying hefty bribes, somewhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh.” He however, quipped saying, “How can they get their khata if all this were government land?”

Residents complained that the procedure in issuing of khata had either been stalled by the BBMP officials or some other bureaucrats at different points in time. The residents said that they had resorted to an ‘innovative’ way of protest as all their previous pleas were unheard.

Responding to demands, Commissioner Siddaiah instructed BBMP Special Commissioner K R Niranjan to study the entire file and promised the protesters to address  their pleas within 48 hours.