The state government is planning to introduce a police-like ‘beat’ system to save government land from the land grabbers.
Replying to a question by BJP MLC Y A Narayanaswamy in the Legislative Council during the Question Hour on Wednesday, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told the House that there are instances where even after the removal of encroachment the same land is encroached.
“It has been a challenge to ensure that the government lands are not encroached up again, once the eviction is done. To stop that, the department is planning to introduce a beat system where designated staff will visit the land regularly and check status. This is to prevent the re-encroachment of the government land,” said the minister.
“We are taking all stringent measures to save government land from encroachers. We will soon launch a drive by giving targets to the officials at the taluk and district levels (to take back the government land encroached),” said the minister.
Gowda mentioned that land encroachment is not new and it was there during the tenure of previous governments. “The eviction of the encroachment works is purely on the willpower of the government. Not just agents, revenue officers, government advocates and other officials of the department are involved in this,” he said.
As per the data provided by the minister to the House, a total of 38,947 acres of government land has been encroached in Bengaluru Urban district and more than 14,660 cases have been registered in this connection. Of this, a total of 3,898 acres of land have been freed from encroachment in 1,292 cases, he added.
Published 12 July 2023, 17:17 IST