Govt to restore lands denotified by Yeddyurappa

Looks like the land denotification scam continues to haunt former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

In what is perceived to be a final attempt to target the BJP's chief ministerial candidate ahead of the elections, the government has decided to restore more than 37 acres of land, denotified by Yeddyurappa.

Documents reveal that, in February 2018, the urban development department received a detailed report on 34 denotification orders passed by Yeddyurappa in 2010. Bengaluru Development Minister K J George has approved the report and ordered for the restoration of the land by issuing notices to the original land owners and also to hand over the probe to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

In one order, 8.22 acres of land was denotified in Hulimavu village at Begur hobli. The land in question was notified for BTM Layout 6th stage. The report states that the land in survey numbers 46/1, 45 and 50/3 was part of final notification and despite an adverse report, Yeddyurappa dropped this land from notification on June 5, 2010.

In another instance, an extent of 6.2 acres was dropped from acquisition in one denotification order. The land was in Kacharakanahalli (survey numbers 134 and 136) and was notified for HBR Layout 1st phase. Despite reports submitted to him stating that a final notification had been issued in respect to the land, Yeddyurappa dropped the entire 6.2 acres of land from notification on July 24, 2010.

In another order of denotification of a large extent of land, 5.2 acres in Herohalli village (survey number 67) was dropped from acquisition on April 7, 2010.

A senior official in the urban development department said while restoration of land has been initiated, the probe report has not yet been handed over to the ACB.

"It was decided to restore the lands to the government. The department had also decided to issue notices to original land owners after filing caveats in the courts to avoid unnecessary delay in resumption of lands. In one instance, a piece of land was denotified where sites were also allotted,'' the official said.