Kumaraswamy warns officials against land mafia

Mysore, Aug 31 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today cautioned the officials against the land mafia trying to grab Government lands in the State.

Inaugurating the Rs 330 crore four-lane Mysore-Bangalore road and laying the foundation stone for the Rs 24 crore six laning of Mysore -Srirangapatna stretch here, he said price of an acre of land in the city had risen from Rs 2.5 lakh recently to Rs 25 lakh following the land mafia entering the city. The Government would take serious note of this development, he added.

Directing the officials to follow the rules and regulations strictly, he said those involved in land grabbing should be punished and the land restored to its original status.

Mr Kumaraswamy said the city of palaces had been growing at a fast pace and the development vision should be oriented for the next 50 to 100 years. Otherwise, the heritage city would go the Bangalore way, he felt.

Stating that the inauguration of the four-lane road would ease traffic between the cultural city and the IT city, he announced that the Government proposed to take up six laning of Bangalore-Bidadi stretch. The present four-lane Bangalore-Mysore road, laid by the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited in two years and two months, would be eventually made a six-lane road in the coming years, he added.

Mr Kumaraswamy announced Rs ten crore for the development of the old Maharanis women's college in the city.

Referring to the September three convention of the Congress in Bangalore, touted to change the political scenario in the State, he said nothing could be changed and he was not bothered about such conventions.

Speaking on the occasion, PWD Minister H D Revanna asked the Chief Minister to visit Mysore once a month to review the development works in the city, which had been growing fast on all fronts.

He said the Government had sanctioned Rs 36 crore for the Panchalinga Darshan at Talakadu in the district and road repair works would be taken up before the festivities in November. His department had taken up as many as nine new road projects.

Transport Minister Cheluvarayaswamy and Housing Minister D T Jayakumar also spoke on the occasion.

UNI BSP GD GM2100