DPAR sits on sanction to prosecute revenue officials in land scam

The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) is delaying giving sanction to prosecute seven revenue officials for illegally transferring government land to private individuals.

The file on the prosecution sanction has been cleared by the Revenue Department and is pending with the DPAR.

The government land in question - over 10.4 acres in total - is in survey number 105 at Doddathogur village, Begur hobli, Bengaluru South taluk. In January 2016, the Upalokayukta sent two reports directing the Revenue Department to immediately restore the government land and recommended action against the errant officials.

The department endorsed the Lokayukta report and forwarded it to the DPAR for sanction to take action against the officials.

"The prosecution sanction has already been delayed by a year. In the meanwhile, the government has not taken any action to reclaim the land in question," said Adarsh R Iyer, of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath, the NGO which filed the complaint before the Lokayukta.

The government land was transferred to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in June 2007 and reserved for building homes for the poor and displaced slum dwellers.

The land was, however, illegally transferred to private individuals in the guise of a grant under tenancy rules. In 2010, 2.24 acres of land was transferred by the then special deputy commissioner (Bengaluru Urban) Ramanjenya. In 2016, the then assistant commissioner L C Nagaraj transferred 7.20 acres of land to private individuals. These individuals are 'benami' for realtors and politicians, the complaint stated.