Revenue Minister R. Ashok on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that he held a meeting to look into the issue of taking back over 400 acres of excess land that is in possession of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE).
Intervening during the debate on the State Budget, the Minister said: “We need to take back the 400 acres. I have held a meeting with Home and Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai in this regard.”
Mr. Ashok maintained that there was no need for the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which was to be built by NICE, as the existing Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was being widened and upgraded with the assistance of ₹7,000 crore from the Centre.
The Minister’s reply came as a response to a suggestion by Shivalinge Gowda, JD(S) MLA, that it would be possible to save money equivalent of the monetary size of two State Budgets if the excess land acquired by NICE is taken back as per the recommendation of a legislature committee.
The Minister also mooted the idea of bringing in a tougher legislation to act sternly against land sharks, especially those who have encroached on government land in and around Bengaluru.
Senior JD(S) member A.T. Ramaswamy, who earlier headed a legislature panel on encroachment of government lands in and around Bengaluru, also said it was possible for the government to raise funds equivalent to the size of two State Budgets if the encroached government land in and around Bengaluru was recovered and auctioned.
He alleged that Karnataka had become a heaven for land sharks who had set their eyes on government lands. Though the norms had barred regularisation of unauthorised cultivation on government lands within the radius of 18 km from BBMP, the authorities had regularised and allotted about 5,000 acres of land whose worth was not less than ₹50,000 crore even by a conservative estimate.
He also called upon religious leaders and Kannada organisations to launch a struggle to protect government lands from land sharks.
