Land grabbing goes on unabated despite warning by Tahsildar

Hassan: The residents in Arakalagud are trying to grab revenue land amid warning by taluk administration. The small town is also taluk centre having old fort of ancient Palegaras (custodians). The Palegars dug up a trench to prevent entry of enemies to the fort. Now people are encroaching upon trench land.

The ward number two of the town have around ten acres of revenue land which is said to be a trench. The land grabbers already encroached 75 per cent of land and constructed houses. They even created records for their land. It is said

that the Khata was created in survey number 181, 182 and 324 in Mallipatna and Koppalu roads. The others observing this began constructing houses overnight. Many pro-people organisations and residents complained to taluk administration and urged to prevent encroachment , but revenue officials failed to do so.

On Friday tahsildar M Srinivas inspected the spot , found that the houses being constructed in revenue land were without any records and valid documents. He instructed revenue inspector and village accountants to issue notices to encroachers and evict them by using JCB. Majula , Leela and other who were constructing houses said that the taluk revenue officers should first cancel the Khata created in Survey number 181,182 and 324. They said if authorities cancel the illegal title deeds and Khata to previous encroachers of revenue land they would voluntarily evict their encroachments. It is alleged that the electricity officials provide power connection to any building or hut only after availing NOC from local panchayat or corporation. But the officials have given power connection without collecting NOC. Before issuing, NOC officials verify the ownership of land.

When revenue officials tried to evict encroachers by using JCB the encroachers staged protest sticking to evict the previous encroachers who constructed houses using influence. Then the JCB returned without evicting.

The illegal fresh encroachers says that they are poor and could not be able to pay house rent. After construting house they would get title deeds under Akrama _Sakrama scheme of the state government. They appealed to regularise their house construction as they did for the five to eight year old encroachers.