RECOVERY OF GOVERNMENT LANDS AND CLEARANCE OF LAKE ENCROACHMENTS AND THE MODUS OPERENDI

SARAKKI - CHIKKALASANDRA - ITTAMADU LAKE ENCROACHMENTS

The land mafia with the connivance of the politicians and the officials sold the government lands and encroached raja kaluve, bandi daari, kaalu daari, oni, valley, kharab lands, gomala and gundu thopu, which cannot be granted or sold, but create fake documents with different survey numbers and register the same as kaneshmari katha or vp katha in the sub registrar offices, without mentioning the actual survey number, hissa or any other survey details.  The Sub-Registrar, based on such declaration, register such properties for some monetary benefit.

During the demolition drive today at Sarakki, The Revenue officials said most of the plots were registered in sub-registrar’s offices with survey numbers of private land next to the lake. “This is a standard modus operandi. The sale deeds are void as they would have wrong survey numbers and the land the buyer takes possession of would be different.” 

Connivance of authorities and encroachers would ensure that constructions on such land are recognised by the authorities. For instance, Sarakki lake area was under a gram panchayat earlier, later under a city municipal council and now in the BBMP limits. 

Residential buildings in the early 80s were recognised by the gram panchayat and passed onto the CMC with a house list number, which continued under the BBMP as well. These are the houses that have got regular khata from the BBMP, an official said. Rarely do newer constructions in the area have a regular khata, he said.

BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana said a khata was no guarantee for ownership of land and it was given only for the purpose of taxation.

Action against officials likely

BBMP Commissioner M. Lakshminarayana said the roads on encroached lake area had come up probably during the execution of ward-wise works by the local councillor. He said stringent action would be taken against any official found guilty of conniving with encroachers.

During the course of demolition, it is noted that one of the leading builder has also encroached the government land but was successful in misleading the officials.  A thorough and proper survey must be conducted and this builder must be brought to book, if found to have encroached the lake land, he must be sent to Parappana Agrahara to cool down for some time, as it had been an habit of these builders to encroach and then prevail upon the government and officials and then go scot free.

The same builder, it is alleged that had been discharging highly contaminated and improperly treated sewage into this lake.  The STP plan is one of the cheapest and does not treat anything and it is installed as a show piece to dupe the KSPCB. The KSPCB on the other hand never check or verify the performance or efficiency of these plants. The treated water utilised to water the plants stinks and it is the breeding ground of mosquitoes.  Neither the BBMP nor the KSPCB nor the builder nor the association is bothered.  This apartment complex is drawing large quantities of underground water and is discharging the highly contaminated sewage into the lake.