Date:28/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/28/stories/2007042806130400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Unauthorised houses to be regularised

Staff Reporter

Shettar opens Bangalore East taluk office

NEW BUILDING: (From left) Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat president T. Venkatalakshmi; A. Krishnappa, MLA; Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar; and N. Nagaraju, MLA, at the Bangalore East taluk office in Krishnarajapuram, which was inaugurated on Frida y. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

Bangalore: Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar on Friday inaugurated the ground floor of the mini-Vidhana Soudha building at Krishnarajapuram, where offices of the Bangalore East taluk will be located.

He agreed with the former Minister and MLA A. Krishnappa and N. Nagaraju, MLA, and K.B. Munivenkata Reddy, MLC, that the price of land on the outskirts of Bangalore was skyrocketing. He assured Mr. Krishnappa that he would write to the Union Government to return 13 acres out of the 54 acres of the public sector ITI to the State Government for development activities.

The Minister said that unauthorised houses built by 14,000 families in Bangalore Urban district would be regularised.

Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would distribute possession certificates to them shortly, he said.

Houses for the poor

Mr. Shettar said that the Bangalore Development Authority would build houses for the poor on 500 acres of encroached government land that had been recovered in the district.

Mr. Krishnappa and Mr. Nagaraju said the taluk contributed Rs. 16,000 crore in revenue to the Government annually and urged that at least 15 per cent should be spent on infrastructure in the taluk.

Taking a dig at the district administration for not inviting the former Railway Minister, C.K. Jaffer Sharief, to the function, Mr. Krishnappa said it was Mr. Sharief who got three acres land sanctioned for the mini-Vidhana Soudha. Mr. Krishnappa urged Mr. Shettar to establish a civil court in the taluk, which had been sanctioned by the S.M. Krishna government. ITI land should not be given to private companies and should be used for providing facilities to the people.

Mr. Nagaraju suggested that five acres in each gram panchayat be reserved for public purposes.

President of the Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat T. Venkatalakshmi, Deputy Commissioner M.A. Sadiq and Taluk Panchayat president N. Krishnappa were present. Special Deputy Commissioner Rame Gowda proposed a vote of thanks.