BENGALURU: A request from a retired Major S. Jayaprakash, seeking agriculture land under the ex-servicemen’s quota, has fallen on deaf years for the last seven years.
Mr Jayaprakash said that he submitted the application in the prescribed format in July 2009 seeking land for agriculture, but the government has not responded positively. “I have been sending letters regularly to the revenue secretary and principal secretary, but no action has been taken,” he said.
According to a Supreme Court order, every soldier who has served the Army for more than five years is eligible for a piece of land for agriculture under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act. But the land has to be granted at least 18 km away from the border of the BBMP jurisdiction.
Mr Jayaprakash has written letters to the President, chief minister, chief secretary, revenue minister and deputy commissioner (Urban). Even after the Deputy Commissioner (Urban) wrote to tahsildars asking them to identify land, none of them have followed the orders.
Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav, replying to Mr Jayaprakash’s mail, said, “I have forwarded this email, with a request to take necessary action. We apologise for the delay and misadministration.”
Mr Jayaprakash said that even Revenue Minister Srinivas Prasad assured him that the land would be allotted, but failed to keep the promise.
He said, “I wrote to the Deputy Commissioner (Urban), saying pieces of land were available at Survey Number 43 in Mahantaligapura near Bannerghatta and Survey Number 84 in Ramanagara. But nothing was done.”
He said, “I would like to take up agriculture in the land allotted. I will strive for the welfare of retired defence personnel and 50 per cent of the earnings will be earmarked for the old age homes and schools for the underprivileged,” he said.
