Land encroachment: Eagleton moves Karnataka HC again over market value

The controversy surrounding Eagleton Golf Course and Resorts, over encroachment of government land in Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru, has again reached the Karnataka High Court.

In August 2021, the High Court had upheld the decision of the state government to collect around Rs 982 crore from Chamundeswari Build Tech Pvt Ltd, promoter of the golf course and resort, as market value for 77.19 acres of encroached land.

Now, the company has again approached the high court with a revision petition.

In its petition, the company has sought for a revision of the market value of the encroached property, fixed by the government. It has requested that an amount of Rs 12.35 crore may be collected at the rate fixed in 2011.

After the high court order in August 2021, the district administration had started building a compound wall to mark the boundary of the property.

However, the district administration had to stop the construction of the compound wall since the high court passed an order for status quo, based on the revision petition filed by the company.

“We have stopped the construction of the compound wall as per the direction of the high court. We have been informed that the next hearing on the matter has been posted to October 28. We will take further action as per the direction of the court,” said Vijay Kumar, tahsildar of Ramanagar, said.

The company had built golf courses, resorts and villas in 1994, in the name of Eagleton Golf Course and Resorts.

In 2008, the tahsildar of Ramanagar issued a notice to the company on various complaints that it had encroached upon government gomala land and land reserved for roads and other public utilities.

The matter was contested in the court and it even reached the Supreme Court.

The district administration finally carried out a survey and reported that around 106.12 acres of government land has been encroached upon by the company.

In 2014, the Supreme Court passed an order that the land can be regularized provided the state government collects present market value.

Out of the entire encroached land, the company surrendered only 28.33 acres, while retaining the remaining 77.19 acres.

In 2015, the government fixed the market value at Rs 982 crore for the land measuring 77.19 acres.