MU Syndicate member alleges encroachment of land

Mangalore University (MU) Syndicate member and advocate Vivekananda Paniyala urged the varsity to conduct a resurvey of its land in Konaje, Ashok Nagara and initiate action against those who had encroached on their land.

Paniyala, in his letter to MU Registrar, had alleged that the university's land had been encroached by the land mafia. "Nearly 50 acres of land belonging to MU in Konaje was encroached by land grabbers. It is shocking that illegal structures have come upon the encroached land with the tacit support of negligent officers in MU," Paniyala said in his letter.

"The MU also constructed a compound wall to ‘facilitate’ the encroachment, which amounts to a breach of public trust and dereliction of duty by public servants,’’ he alleged in the letter. Paniyala said as per the provisions of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011, there is a mechanism for recovery of encroached land and prosecution of offenders.

"Mangalore University is a public university established by Government of Karnataka and presently vested in the State of Karnataka by virtue of provisions of Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 and therefore, all movable and immovable properties, vested in it shall be protected and preserved by officers as per the 'doctrine of public trust'," the Syndicate member elaborated in the letter.

He recollected that MU had paid a huge amount of money to the private agency that had surveyed its land. "Incidentally survey and other details were not placed before the Syndicate until today. The details should be placed in syndicate's next meeting," he demanded. Members also should be informed about the total extent of land encroached in Konaje and Ashoknagara, he added.

MU to survey its land

Mangalore University (MU) Vice-Chancellor Prof P S Yadapadithaya, responding to the letter, said that as per a survey conducted in the past, seven acres of land were encroached and not 50 acres as mentioned in Paniyala's letter. However, the survey can not be considered authentic. “We will soon survey the land owned by MU, by roping in empanelled government surveyors. A drone survey too will be taken up shortly. The construction of the compound wall stopped midway, will be taken up after the survey of the land is complete. After completing the survey, the report on encroachment will be placed before the Syndicate for taking further action. Later we will write to the government and also to the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the university,” he added.

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