OBSERVER The Weekly
Volume 14 | Issue 20
BRIEFS Stress makes Garden City less than rosy Bangalore’s population explosion has led to an increase in urban stress. Page 2 Tax dodging illegal hostel owners risking safety “I saw the girl being beaten by four men who also tried to rape her,” said Shreya Verma, who used to live in a PG in BTM layout 1st stage. Page 2 City schools clueless that they are ‘illegal’ Most of the 1,266 schools in Bangalore, deemed illegal by the government aren’t aware of their current status due to the absence of any notice from the government. Page 3
Land row farmers cry foul play EXCLUSIVE Shruti Suresh Ridhi Agrawal Villagers are claiming that land taken by the government to build houses left them out of pocket. Karnataka Housing Board took land from villagers at Kakaramanahalli to build layouts. Kakaramanahalli village houses about 747 people, according to the 2011 census. According to the local Panchayat, the village’s civic leader, there are 900 residents. Of about 500 farmers living in the village, more than 8o per cent have claimed to have sold entirely or parts of their land to the KHB. From 2011, officials of the Karnataka Housing Board have said to have been persuading the villagers at Kakaramanahlli and Barahalli to sell their land to KHB at set prices. According to the Panchayat Development office in Bidadi: “The KHB, at that time, had evaluated the price of land between 6-8 lakhs per acre and the villagers were told that they would be paid 26 lakhs in compensation for selling their agricultural land.”
But the villagers claim that they were told that they would be paid 30 lakhs per acre if they agree to sell their land. Veerabadhriya, a resident of the village said,” More than 80 per cent of the villagers have sold a part of their lands to Karnataka Housing Board. It was acquired by them to build layouts. “ KHB has started working on the 449.21 acres of the land acquired from the farmers. The villagers claim that they regret selling their lands. Most of the farmers were involved in breeding of silkworms on their land which was their source of income. Now they engage in milking cows and goats and doing driving jobs. Shanti, a resident of Kakaramanahalli said:”I have two acres of land of which I sold half an acre. I was paid Rs.10 lakhs for my land.” Ramamurthy, another farmer said: “I had three acres of land. I sold one acre and 11 ghuntas and was given 35 lakhs. We were promised Rs.30 lakhs per acre but they paid us less. The papers of my land were submitted to the KHB while
3 duped with promise of jobs FOUR men have been arrested after victims of a fake jobs scam alerted police. Page 3 Male breast cancer ‘myth‘ lethal Men who are diagnosed with breast cancer are far more likely to die from the disease than women, according to specialists. Page 4
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Shanti gave up half an acre of her land to the housing board
Umbaiyya stands in front of the land he was persuaded to sell taking the payment.” “Life was better earlier. Now, the money we received is almost over. I bought more land and cattle. Also, my earnings have fallen,” he added. Umbaiyya, said that the KHB didn’t come and talk directly to the villagers. They interacted with a handful of villagers who then were made to talk to the remaining villagers. “Five months back, we received 26 lakhs per acre. When the layout work started, villagers protested at the site to stall the ongoing work as they had promised us 30 lakhs instead of 26 lakhs. MLA Ambareesh came and said that instead of the remaining money, every farmer who sold his land would be given a site in the layout,” he added. Umbaiyya now owns four cows and earns his living selling milk and curd at the Nandini Milk Federation. The villagers also stated that they were not given any written documents about the money, land acquisition or the sites promised. Vikas added: “Two months back Ambareesh said that he will come
and talk to us about the remaining money and site for farmers in ten days. But he didn’t come after that.” When villagers who weren’t willing to give away their lands to government, Vikas said that they were persuaded until they sold up. He added, “Most of the villagers sold away some acres of the land they owned and now depend on cattle to make a living.” Venkatesh, another villager who sold his land, used to breed silkworms and now he has four cows. “I sold 20 ghunta of land for 16 lakhs. Now, a lot of what I earn goes into taking care of the cattle,” he said. “Like others I am also regretting having sold my land”, he added. Narayanappa, officer at the Kenchanaguppe Grama Panchayat said :”Govt had set a price of 23 lakhs for dry land and 26 lakhs for agricultural land.” Mr Shibu, from the Karnataka Housing Board, said: “Only 26 lakhs had been offered, not 30 lakhs. The 26 lakh was fixed by the Deputy Commissioner of Ramanagara after taking into account the loss of land and compensation.”
49 arrested for gambling in just 4 days Soumya Chatterjee In a period of less than a week, the CCB has recovered just over Rs.4, 30,000 and arrested almost 50 people across the city for illegal gambling. On February 3, the Special Enquiry team of the City Crime Branch arrested 24 people and seized cash of Rs.1, 60,000 in a house within Seshadripuram Police Station limits in an operation authorized by DCP Central, Sandeep, based on a tip off. Another 10 people were arrested from a room in Star Hotel and cash of Rs.1, 90,000 were seized by the Special Enquiry team after a tip
off based on information gathered by DCP Crime, Abhisek Goyal on February 1. On January 31 in Devar, Chickanahally within Mico Layout Police Station limits five people were arrested and Rs. 30,790 was recovered from the accused. On the same day a gambling den at Arafathanagar within JJ Nagar Police Station area. 10 were arrested and cash of Rs.51, 300 were seized. “It is the second incident in the same area within four days”, said Anjunappa, sub-inspector at the police station. Seven people were arrested in that incident involving public gam-
The gambling den in Arafatnagar where 10 people were arrested bling. All these men were charged with The Public Gambling Act, 1867, The Lotteries (Regulation) Act,
1998, Section 294-A of the Indian Penal Code, Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.