Karnataka becomes only state to set up Land Grab Prohibition Court

Everybody has been talking about the recent demolition drive by the BBMP. The civic authority moved with such alacrity to demolish the buildings like there’s no tomorrow.

What’s difficult to fathom is that the BBMP is using a century-old map and revenue records to ascertain whether land was encroached upon for its demolition drive.

 

Ever since the BBMP began their demolition drive on August 4, it has turned into a confusing web of legal scuffles between the BBMP and the poor residents, politician interference and real estate builders.

 

The irony is that is that many people whose houses were demolished, approached the court stating that their properties were razed down despite having procured building plans and other permissions from the BBMP itself.

 

Over the years, the encroachment of government lands has assumed epic proportions. To keep the encroachment in check, the Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah inaugurated The Land Grab Prohibition Court, a one-of-a-kind court to try land encroachment cases.

 

Here’s a recap on when and how the Land Grabbing Prohibition act came into picture.

 

The process to enact the Land Grab Prohibition Act was conceived in 2006-2007. The act was passed in 2011, but was rejected by the then President of India. 

 

Finally, in 2014, the President passed a law that would curb land-grabbing by the government. Now, almost two years later, the first Land Grab Prohibition Court has been inaugurated in Bengaluru.

 

The Land Grab Prohibition court that will be set up at Kandaya Bhavan will be headed by a retired judge of Karnataka High Court. The court consists of five-members which includes two district-level judges.

 

All government land encroachment cases will be tried in this court and the focus will on speedy disposal of cases and punishment of the offender. And if convicted, the concerned entity will be fined up to ₹ 10,000 and a jail-term ranging from 1 to 3 years.

 

Why is land grabbing so rampant in Bengaluru off late?

 

The reason why land encroachment had become rampant particularly in and around Bengaluru is because the land prices in Bengaluru urban and Bengaluru rural have skyrocketed over the years. One acre costs between ₹10 crore and ₹ 20 crore. 

 

The land grab mafia has become extremely active and they are not doing it alone many say that even officials are involved in encouraging this land grab.

 

According to the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the government owns about 1.22 lakh acres of land in Bengaluru urban but nearly 34,000 acres has been encroached upon. It is to curb this encroachment of government land that Bengaluru has set up this one of its kind- land grabbing prohibition court.

 

CM Siddaramaiah also noted that his government had already recovered 6,000 acres of encroached land since his government assumed charge in 2013.