Date:16/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051654220500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Acquisition of land contested

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: Several village people of Dhanapur in Hospet taluk of Bellary district on Thursday filed a writ appeal against the acquisition of 490 acres of land in and around their village by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

The appellants, Syed Ahmed of Kaul Bazar and others, said that on August 31, 2006, the KIADB had issued a notification acquiring land in Dhanapur village for setting up a railway yard.

On October 4, 2007, the Government of Karnataka approved a project by BBM Ispat on the recommendations of a high-level committee. Soon after their lands were sought to be acquired, Syed Ahmed and others moved the High Court.

A single judge had, in an interim order on November 29, 2007, stayed the dispossession of the lands. BBM Ispat filed an application before the court seeking vacation of the stay. On April 17, 2008, the single judge modified the stay order and permitted the authorities and BBM Ispat to go ahead with the project provided they abided by certain conditions. Syed Ahmed and others had appealed against the modification of the order.

Adjourned

A Division Bench comprising Justice Huluvadi G., Ramesh and Justice A.S. Bopanna adjourned further hearing on a petition by B.S. Kiran and seven others of Mudigere in Chikamagalur district. They had challenged the order of the PU Board in changing the location of a pre-university college from Hirebailu to Balehole.