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Urban Encroachment

9,033 acres of encroached land recovered: Minister

Thursday, 16 July 2009 07:04 administrator
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The Hindu 16.07.2009

9,033 acres of encroached land recovered: Minister

Special Correspondent

Of the recovered land, 559.29 acres were auctioned, earning revenue of Rs. 532.2 crore

Amendment Bill seeking regularisation of revenue sites awaiting approval of Lower House

BANGALORE: The Government has recovered 9,033.37 acres of the 33,878 acres encroached land in Bangalore Urban district in compliance with the recommendations of the A.T. Ramaswamy Committee’s preliminary report, Minister for Revenue G. Karunakara Reddy told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

Replying to M. Srinivas (JD-S), Mr. Reddy said it was wrong to interpret that the Government could recover only 25 per cent of the encroached land in the district as the rest was either entangled in legal disputes or in Akrama-Sakrama issue, or was under the Government’s consideration for utilising them for civic amenity purposes. However, the Government would make all efforts to recover the entire land, he said.

Of the recovered land, the Government auctioned 559.29 acres and earned revenue of Rs. 532.2 crore.

However, the Government was yet to realise Rs. 252.41 crore from the bidders, and had issued notices to them, he explained.

Questioning the tardy progress in recovering all the encroached land, M.C. Nanaiah (JD-S), V.R. Sudarshan ( Congress) and others urged Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who was present in the House, to exercise political will and free the State from the real estate mafia.

He suggested that the Government constitute two House committees, on the lines of the A.T. Ramaswamy Committee which automatically got itself dissolved after the President’s rule was imposed, to pursue the unfinished task of the erstwhile committee.

Replying to Mallajamma (Congress) on regularising revenue sites and the structures on such land, Mr. Reddy said an amendment Bill seeking regularisation of such properties was awaiting the approval of the Lower House. The Government was hopeful that the Bill would have a smooth passage, he added.

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 July 2009 07:09
 

NMC squad demolishes shops at Cotton Market

Thursday, 09 July 2009 10:37 administrator
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Source: The Times of India Date : 09.07.2009

NMC squad demolishes shops at Cotton Market

NAGPUR: Every day, when people from the city go to the Cotton Market in the morning, they expect to find fresh vegetables. However, what greeted them on Monday morning was a row of closed shutters and the visibly agitated owners of these shops. For almost the entire day, most of the shops at the Cotton Market remained closed and opened for trade only towards the evening.

The reason for the anger was because the anti-encroachment squad of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation on Saturday evening had razed the tin shades many of them had built as an extension to their shops. The squad had reportedly been accompanied by the police.

Speaking to TOI, Mohan Kartar, one of those who had had their wares forcibly carted off on Saturday, said, "I have been working here all my life, and our shop is 60 years old! My father had started his shop and never once has anything of this sort taken place."

Hemant Khanorkar, another shopkeeper, lamented that the police had been a bit too harsh with them. "All our merchandize was seized and carted away without notice and we could do nothing but watch. We were then asked to pay up a few thousand rupees in order to get our goods released. How can someone, who profits barely a hundred rupees a day, pay that kind of money?"

Leeladhar Hole, yet another shopkeeper, has more accusations to heap on the policemen. "The police were so rough that even when my 10-year-old son tried to pack the weighing scales in the workshop, they beat him and snatched away the scales! I can't understand why they are so worried about encroachments here. Why can't they concentrate on other parts of the city, where encroachments have made life a living hell for the residents?"

The most astonishing allegation is that of one Shubhashchandra Shahu who claimed that he had a legal document from the court which ordered a stay on any kind of demolition of his shop. But the policemen as well as the personnel from the anti-encroachment squad refused to take heed to it.

Sheikh Rafique Sheikh Rasool, another shopkeeper, reasons, "Where is the traffic hazard here? The road which leads into the market is not exactly a thoroughfare which connects two parts of the city. What harm would a little bit of extending our shops have done? And besides, we pay taxes regularly, but the Cotton Market is seldom cleaned properly. Who is to answer for that?"

Meanwhile, the customers who buy vegetables from the Cotton Market on a daily basis seemed to be the most inconvenienced.
 

Civic body removes encroachments

Tuesday, 07 July 2009 07:08 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 07.07.2009

Civic body removes encroachments

Staff Reporter

Those staying illegally were served notices a fortnight ago

ANANTAPUR: The Dharmavaram Municipality removed encroachments on the road between Gandhi railway gate and Kadiri railway gate at the weavers’ town on Sunday. The municipal staff accompanied by police personnel razed some 75 houses on both sides of the road.

Keeping in view the increasing density of vehicular traffic on the road, the civic body recently decided to clear the encroachments and accordingly served notices to the families who were staying there illegally, a fortnight ago. Some of the families were staying there for the last three decades.

Armed by bulldozers and proclainers, the civic staff embarked upon the task of encroachment removal in the early hours.

Several residents asked the officials to give them some more time to vacate the place, but the latter felt that enough time was given to them.

Bhoomi pooja for widening the road was also done recently and the civic body had allocated Rs.20 lakh for laying a cement-concrete road.

The work was pending for the last few decades and every elected body had preferred to postpone the task till now.

Dharmavaram Revenue Divisional Officer V. Prabhakara Pillai, Deputy Superintendent of Police A. Balasubramanyam, Municipal Commissioner Ravindra Reddy supervised the encroachment removal.

Official sources stated that civic body would now focus on removing encroachments on the main road, the R&B road, once a few pending court cases were settled.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 July 2009 07:17
 
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