<p>More than 10 acres of land in Lakkasandra given to the BBMP by the district administration 30 years ago to plan civic amenities have been used for commercial purposes. </p>.<p>Encroachers with political backing have also been eating into the property located in southcentral Bengaluru. </p>.<p>In 1982, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) issued a notification to acquire six acres and 25 guntas of private land belonging to seven people in survey numbers 15, 17, 19 in Lakkasandra. Clubbing it with a 10-acre, four-gunta kharab land, the BDA planned to build the Lakkasandra Sports Pavillion and Commercial Complex. </p>.<p>Activists said the private land was denotified in 2001 and no one knew why. Even as they struggle to clear the mystery surrounding the denotification, the remaining government land is being encroached upon. </p>.<p>The 10-acre, four-gunta kharab land in survey number 14 had been handed over to the then Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in 1993 the deputy commissioner’s orders. But the BBMP has since lost track of the land as documents now reveal that five acres have been given to the women and child welfare department. </p>.<p>“Repeated RTI applications have been stonewalled by the civic agency. All these years, the BBMP didn’t even bother to build a fence around the property. Officials didn’t even provide the details of the latest revenue survey,” said Ramesh Babu, a resident and activist. </p>.<p>Though the land had been allocated to build a playground and a park, BBMP took no efforts to develop them. RTC documents revealed that five-acre land had been given to the department of women and child development in 2008 through a court order.</p>.<p>“Nobody in the Palike could explain why the land was given to the department, which has, in turn, leased it to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL),” Babu said. </p>.<p>In reply to an RTI query, the BMRCL said the land would be used as a casting yard for five years. </p>.<p>“Local political leaders<br />are using the situation to increase the encroachment. Apart from genuine slum dwellers, many people have built structures on government land,” Babu added. </p>.<p>Shockingly, Babu said, the BBMP responded to an RTI application saying it plans to utilise the remaining five acres, including the encroached-upon land, as it processes a request to lease three acres to Advaith Aerospace Private Limited to run a service centre. Another 61,349 square feet have been leased to Ray Centre Pvt Limited for three years for Rs 96,000, it said, adding that the place will be surveyed to determine the encroached area. </p>.<p>“Everybody is taking a bite at this land but the BBMP officials are looking away,” he said. </p>.<p>BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Dr Deepak R L did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>More than 10 acres of land in Lakkasandra given to the BBMP by the district administration 30 years ago to plan civic amenities have been used for commercial purposes. </p>.<p>Encroachers with political backing have also been eating into the property located in southcentral Bengaluru. </p>.<p>In 1982, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) issued a notification to acquire six acres and 25 guntas of private land belonging to seven people in survey numbers 15, 17, 19 in Lakkasandra. Clubbing it with a 10-acre, four-gunta kharab land, the BDA planned to build the Lakkasandra Sports Pavillion and Commercial Complex. </p>.<p>Activists said the private land was denotified in 2001 and no one knew why. Even as they struggle to clear the mystery surrounding the denotification, the remaining government land is being encroached upon. </p>.<p>The 10-acre, four-gunta kharab land in survey number 14 had been handed over to the then Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in 1993 the deputy commissioner’s orders. But the BBMP has since lost track of the land as documents now reveal that five acres have been given to the women and child welfare department. </p>.<p>“Repeated RTI applications have been stonewalled by the civic agency. All these years, the BBMP didn’t even bother to build a fence around the property. Officials didn’t even provide the details of the latest revenue survey,” said Ramesh Babu, a resident and activist. </p>.<p>Though the land had been allocated to build a playground and a park, BBMP took no efforts to develop them. RTC documents revealed that five-acre land had been given to the department of women and child development in 2008 through a court order.</p>.<p>“Nobody in the Palike could explain why the land was given to the department, which has, in turn, leased it to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL),” Babu said. </p>.<p>In reply to an RTI query, the BMRCL said the land would be used as a casting yard for five years. </p>.<p>“Local political leaders<br />are using the situation to increase the encroachment. Apart from genuine slum dwellers, many people have built structures on government land,” Babu added. </p>.<p>Shockingly, Babu said, the BBMP responded to an RTI application saying it plans to utilise the remaining five acres, including the encroached-upon land, as it processes a request to lease three acres to Advaith Aerospace Private Limited to run a service centre. Another 61,349 square feet have been leased to Ray Centre Pvt Limited for three years for Rs 96,000, it said, adding that the place will be surveyed to determine the encroached area. </p>.<p>“Everybody is taking a bite at this land but the BBMP officials are looking away,” he said. </p>.<p>BBMP Special Commissioner (Revenue) Dr Deepak R L did not respond to phone calls seeking comment. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
