<p class="title">In a startling revelation; 51.04 acres of government land earmarked for rehabilitation of people displaced by Hidkal backwaters, are misappropriated by private people. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The misappropriation came to light following a query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, by RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad alleged that land sharks, in connivance with the Revenue Department, had encroached land worth several crores.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The government land was entered in private people's names while the Revenue department computerized its records," Gadad alleged at a media meet, in Belagavi, on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>'Records eaten by termites' </strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad said that 51.04 acres of arable land located in Islampur village in Yamakanamaradi Hobli, Hukkeri taluk, was now owned by private individuals --Gorli Yallappa Lagma, Jininral B Yallappa, Mundali Sateppa Yallappa, Mundali Lagmappa Sateppa, Gorli Lagmappa Yallappa, Mandali Veerabhadra Yallappa, Mandali Balappa Yallappa, Mandali Sanjay Balappa, Mandali Arun Balappa --as per the records.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When enquired via an RTI application, officials refused to provide the information claiming that documents were damaged by termites.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="bold"><strong>Tampered records</strong></span></p>.<p class="bodytext">Subsequently, Hukkeri tahsildar's report in this connection, submitted to the deputy commissioner recently, mentioned that the records were manipulated just before computerisation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Documents were tampered manually and changes were made in the record of rights without proper documentation. I suspect the involvement of five village accountants in this fraud," Gadad alleged.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad said that though seven months had passed since the tahsildar's report, district officials had not acted. He demanded an inquiry and recovery of the land from private people. </p>
<p class="title">In a startling revelation; 51.04 acres of government land earmarked for rehabilitation of people displaced by Hidkal backwaters, are misappropriated by private people. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The misappropriation came to light following a query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, by RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad alleged that land sharks, in connivance with the Revenue Department, had encroached land worth several crores.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The government land was entered in private people's names while the Revenue department computerized its records," Gadad alleged at a media meet, in Belagavi, on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><strong>'Records eaten by termites' </strong></p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad said that 51.04 acres of arable land located in Islampur village in Yamakanamaradi Hobli, Hukkeri taluk, was now owned by private individuals --Gorli Yallappa Lagma, Jininral B Yallappa, Mundali Sateppa Yallappa, Mundali Lagmappa Sateppa, Gorli Lagmappa Yallappa, Mandali Veerabhadra Yallappa, Mandali Balappa Yallappa, Mandali Sanjay Balappa, Mandali Arun Balappa --as per the records.</p>.<p class="bodytext">When enquired via an RTI application, officials refused to provide the information claiming that documents were damaged by termites.</p>.<p class="bodytext"><span class="bold"><strong>Tampered records</strong></span></p>.<p class="bodytext">Subsequently, Hukkeri tahsildar's report in this connection, submitted to the deputy commissioner recently, mentioned that the records were manipulated just before computerisation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Documents were tampered manually and changes were made in the record of rights without proper documentation. I suspect the involvement of five village accountants in this fraud," Gadad alleged.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gadad said that though seven months had passed since the tahsildar's report, district officials had not acted. He demanded an inquiry and recovery of the land from private people. </p>