OBSERVER The Weekly
Volume 14 | Issue 18
BRIEFS Karnataka receives more Haj applications in 2014 Karnataka State Haj Committee recorded an increase of pilgrims performing Haj by 10% in the past three years. Page 2 2 minor girls rescued after CCB busts ‘brothel’ Five girls from Bangladesh, including two minors, have been rescued from a house run as an alleged brothel in Bangalore. Page 2 Night shelter turned to a community hall A nationwide scheme to provide shelter for homeless people is failing in Karnataka, with homeless people back on the streets and their ‘shelters’ converted to marriage halls. Page 3 All work and no ‘pay’ for city sweepers Pourakarmikas across Bangalore are being denied their wages by the state government and the contractors. The contractors are also guilty of violating the Minimum Wages Act along with not providing any safety equipment like gloves or boots. Street sweepers in Bangalore are called pourakarmikas. Page 3
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Eviction threat 30 years after ‘legal’ land deal Shruti Suresh Eviction notices have been served on an entire community 30 years after the Bangalore Development Authority gave them permission to move in. The Revenue Department, which issued the notices to hundreds of stunned homeowners, has also threatened legal action against the “encroachers”. Puzzled residents, some of whom have lived on the dried up lake area for 30 years, have legal documents to prove they were allocated the land by the BDA. Nobody from that organization was consulted ahead of eviction notices being sent out, some to pensioners living alone. Earlier this month, claiming their homes were on a lake bed, around 150 residents of the HRBR Layout were sent eviction notices from the Revenue Department. The notice also asked the residents to explain why criminal charges should not be slapped against them for land encroachment and why they should not be asked to evict the land. According to Deputy Commissioner, Revenue Department, Shankar, “Survey no. 211 comprises of 42 acres of the land in HRBR Layout. BDA formed layout on 14 acres and 3 acres has been encroached by unauthorized people.” According to residents of HRBR layout, Kalyan Nagar, they have submitted the required documents to the Tahsildar of Bangalore North which states that the sites were allotted by BDA to the public and that they have been paying taxes too.
Of the 180 sites allocated by BDA, except for about 40, everyone has been given an eviction notice. DS Rajshekhar, president, Bangalore North East Residents Welfare Association, said, “No objections were raised when the occupants occupied the land and built the house. After so many years, they are talking about the land being present on a lake bed. We haven’t seen any lake here in the last thirty years.” “There are homes on about 12 acres of the land here. The land sites were acquired procedurally as per BDA policy but still residents are being blamed for encroachment of the land. If that was not supposed to be given for layout, BDA should be questioned, we do not know the boundaries of the land which according to Revenue Department is illegal for living on,” he added. The people who have residences on this land are mostly middle-class people with no other property and all of a sudden they were sent out notices on January 3 to leave their lands. According to the residents, there could have been a breached tank bed in this place. Along with homes, on the same area, a bus stand, a fire station, a post office and a playground. However the residents are doubtful whether these laws apply to such civic amenities. According to Rajshekhar, the AT Ramaswamy Committee and Task Force Balasubramanyam Reports state that no lakes were present in the area. The residents also claim that the BDA has not at all intervened in this act of the Revenue Department when it is something that should be of their concern since the land was
Karnataka fails to curb teenage pregnancy “I got married when I was just 17 and at the age of 20 I have three children. I am facing a lot of health problems like depression and low weight. Also my third child is suffering from lot of complications as he is premature,” said Sajia from a slum near D.J. Halli police station. Page 4 Leopard on the loose; gives birth to 3 cubs The leopard which has been troubling Kumbalgodu has given birth to three cubs, according to villagers. Page 4
CM Subbaiah, the president of Kalyan Nagar RWA
Rajshekhar is one of the residents who got an eviction notice allotted to the public by BDA. R S Subbuaih, 45, who has been staying in this location for the past 11 years, said, “We have submitted the essential documents and we know we are on the right side, but still we have been called ‘encroachers of the land’.” Sampath Kumar, 52, another resident said: “The land here was filled and allotted by the BDA, but now we are being called the encroachers. It is under the administration of the Tahsildar, Accountant and the Deputy Commissioner to verify details before BDA allots land. “There was no objection 30 years back, now they want us to leave our homes. Residents are being blamed, not BDA,” he added. According to Murthy, 65, they are being blamed for illegally occupying the land. “If we had illegally occupied, how do we have these legal documents which prove otherwise? The Revenue Dept has not given any details about which tank had been here and when. There are residents who have lived here for about 30 years,” he added. “There are allocated sites where nothing has been built by the owners. They haven’t got any notices. We also want to know on what basis does the Revenue Department wants a section of the people here to leave their sites,” asked Murthy. The Deputy Commissioner, Shankar added: “We are looking into the issue. Of the 14 acres of the land which was used by BDA to build layout, people having legal papers of having bought the land from BDA won’t have a problem. Eviction would happen if we find encroachers having taken the land illegally.” CM Subbaiah, President of Kalyan Nagar RWA, said, “There are
222 sites allocated under Survey no. 211 by the BDA. The civic amenities like police station, fire station, bus terminal and post office have not been given notices of criminal offense and encroachment, only sites occupied by residents. Why so? These are many of the questions which need answers.” According to him, the Revenue Dept had claimed that the entire 42.38 acres of land is on a lake bed.
“The land here was filled
and allotted by the BDA, but now we are being called the encroachers. It is under the administration of the Tahsildar, Accountant and the Deputy Commissioner to verify details before BDA allots land.”
“There are 46 sites in the city which have been built over lakes or lake beds. Many such lakes were encroached upon by the BDA to built layouts and give away sites. Why only for this site, is this much noise being made?” he added. Rajshekhar added: “The whole scenario is threatening our existence here. There are numerous senior citizens living in the area who have nowhere to go.” “We bought land from a govt agency in a hope that there won’t be any loopholes like those involved with private agencies but this situation has proved the government isn’t any better,” he continued.