House Committee Chairman demands filing cases against officials

Bangalore, Mar 1 (UNI) The House Committee, formed by the Karnataka government to look into illegal encroachment of government land in and around the City, today demanded filing of criminal cases against 174 officials of the Revenue Department for being 'hand in glove' with the land grabbers.

Talking to newsmen here, Committee Chairman A T Ramaswamy said that it was understood that 469 cases were booked against these officials involved in land grabbing cases. This included Deputy Tahsildars, Revenue Inspectors and village Accountants.

''Departmental inquiry against the officials involved would not provide any justice to the matter,'' he felt.

Mr Ramaswamy also criticised the Police for delaying in registering cases against the officials involved in cases of encroachment of Government land. He had written to the Home Department regarding the police inaction in registering the cases against 943 persons including politicians, social activists and officials, he said.

The Revenue department had in its latest survey of 1,18,668 lakh acres of land out of which atleast 18,447 acres of land had been encroached, he stated.

UNI