Why is the government silent on land grabbers?

Bengaluru: It has been seven years since the AT Ramaswamy Joint Legislature Committee threw light on the  lakhs of acres encroached on in the heart of the city, but successive governments have taken no action to recover the prime property lost to landgrabbers. The indifference of the authorities is hard to understand as going by the committee, around 20,000 acres of government land has been grabbed  in and around Bengaluru city using forged documents.

Finding the government’s attitude hard to stomach, a State Anti-Land Grabbers’ Struggle Committee backed by freedom fighter, H.S Doreswamy, and former Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde among others, has now begun a campaign to shake it out of its inertia. “There’s no justifiable reason why  no action has been taken since 2007 when the committee first gave its report,” says  Justice Hegde, blaming lack of political will for the situation.

“Its  not just one political party that is to blame.  Earlier, we had a different government, but it didn’t act, and now the present government too doesn’t seem interested in recovering its property. There could be internal pressures from politicians afraid of losing votes should they go against the poor  or the big builders,” he feels. “Our protest is not against the poor people or small encroachments, but big establishments, which have created the fake documents to procure land. The malpractices are already massive. If this is how the civil society functions, what will be the future of the city?”  he asks with concern, noting that the government has refused to act even when presented with blatant evidence.

For instance, the committee had drawn attention to two 30 feet and 40 feet roads sold to builders, he points out. “The sale deed says it is  government land and  a road is being sold. Why is the government disinterested in reclaiming its property even then?” he wonders.

While the anti-land grabbers committee now wants those involved in the illegal takeover of government land booked under the Goonda Act and special courts to try them, AAP member, Ravikrishna Reddy says law and parliamentary affairs minister, T.B Jayachandra has promised action against the encroachments in a fortnight.  Considering the years of inaction, will the minister really keep his promise? We have 15 days for the answer.