Devathalagutta issue: Pride India denies charges

Pride India Builders on Monday has clarified its position on the ongoing Devathalagutta issue saying that they have not occupied ‘even one inch of Government land or has gone anyway near any temple’.

“Unfortunately, all of us, the company, the press, the judicial instrumentalities and the stake holders in the project are being used by the extortion racket for its own gains,” alleged the statement from the company.

“The Company Pride India Builders states that the realty project has been acquired from land owners legally and the same is under process for regularisation under GO No. 747. An amount of Rs 11 crore has been paid to the government as per demand memo issued by the Urban Land Ceiling Authority,” said the statement.

“The temple of Veerabhadra Swamy is in Survey Number 86 on a hillock that is part of a private Patta land and the adjoining Survey Number 87 is also a very much Private Patta land, and as per the revenue records, or the records of the Endowments department the said temple does not have any recorded land to its ownership. All the land in the said Hillocks maliciously named as Devathalagutta is either private land of the Ceiling claimed lands with no Government or endowed land,” said the company.

“The distance between our project and the temple if more than half kilometre and the way to the temple is outside the boundaries of the project,” it said. “But in-spite of all this, some anti social elements are entering the company's venture and demanding protection money from the realtors by threatening and blackmailing.

In this regard, we have filed complaint to Kanchanbagh Police Station and an FIR was registered against those people,” the statement added. “Pride India Builders adds that a part of their land has also been applied for Layout Regularisation under GO No 151 and 152 issued by HMDA and the same is in process,” said the company.