Hundreds Of Acres Of Land Allocated To RSS, Its Affiliates Put On Hold

The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has put on hold the grant of 35.33 acres of gomala land to the RSS-linked Janaseva Trust in Bengaluru, according to reports.

In September of the previous year, the BJP government had allocated 35.33 acres of gomala land at Kurubarahalli, Tavarekere in Bengaluru South taluk to the Janaseva Trust. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, just five days after assuming office, issued a note on May 25 instructing authorities to maintain the status quo on lands granted by the previous BJP government.

In response to a query from BJP lawmaker ST Somashekar regarding government lands allotted to various organizations in Bengaluru South taluk, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stated in a written reply that the allocation of 35.33 acres to the Janaseva Trust is currently on hold, referring to the CM's note.

Gowda clarified that the CM's note applies not only to the Janaseva Trust but also to all allotments made in the months leading up to the Assembly election.

The Janaseva Trust runs educational institutions at Channenahalli on Magadi Road. When DH contacted the trust's secretary, Nirmal Kumar, said that they had not received any communication from the government regarding the grant being put on hold.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that the government is reviewing all cases of "hurried allotments" made by the previous government, including the grant of 35.33 acres to the Janaseva Trust. He said that the government will review the grants on the basis of eligibility and objective, and will look at whether or not public interest was involved.

In 2018, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) had flagged the grant of gomala lands. According to the Karnataka Land Revenue Rules, 30 acres of gomala land should be set aside for every 100 cattle. Any reduction in gomala land by a deputy commissioner requires prior approval. The CAG had noted that various High Court judgments had advised against granting gomala land. However, in January 2008, the rules were amended to allow for the grant of gomala land located in and around city limits.