Land grabbing: K'taka to punish erring revenue officials

Udupi, Apr 16 (UNI) The Karnataka government is contemplating bringing in a suitable amendment to the Revenue Act to punish those officials who had connived with land grabbers in the state, Revenue and Sugar Minister Jagadish Shettar informed today.

Talking to newspersons here after inspecting the location for the construction of the much-delayed Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office complex at Manipal, near here, he said several revenue officials had joined hands with grabbers of government land and pointed out that in Bangalore alone, 4,000 acres of government land had been grabbed.

However, the JD (S)-BJP coalition government in the state had taken possession of 2,000 acres of the grabbed land and initiated steps to take back the remaining.

To curb land grabbing, the government had decided to punish all erring officials along with the land grabbers, he added.

Referring to the DC office complex, Mr Shettar announced that the government had decided to go ahead with its decision to construct the office complex building at Manipal, with the Management of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, a deemed university, indicating to withdraw its case against the construction within the next two to three months.

Referring to revival of closed sick sugar units in Bramhavar, Aland and Haveri, Mr Shettar said under the government's Revival Programme, the Pandavapura and Aland units had been given on lease.

Unfortunately, no bidders had come forward for taking the Bramhavar sugar factory on lease even after two tenders. However, a separate meeting would be convened to discuss about its revival, he added.

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