Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter LAND IS MONEY Land denotifications is a Multi Crore scam. Exclusive probe necessary.

By Firoz.T.Totanawala  

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

LAND IS MONEY 

Land denotifications is a Multi Crore scam. Exclusive probe necessary. 

 The denotification, a multi crore business is pounding the state politico. As on now, three former Chief Ministers, few former and present ministers are queuing up before the Lokayukta Court to face trial for misuse and abuse of their positions. It is no secret that thousands of acres of lands were denotified in the last 20 years. Till 1995, the denotification was not a big business, it was not a profitable business also as the rewards were abysmally small. 

 It is only after the land boom in Bangalore that made the denotification, a big business. Denotification is not an illegal act, but, the way in which denotifications were done for money and political reasons, is questionable. Interestingly, the politicians in power who indulge in denotification are targeted while the officials who legalise their money making business have escaped unhurt. 

 Denotifications acquired gigantic proportions during SM Krishna’s regime and that too particularly in the Arkavathi Layout, Banashankari, Anjanapura and Visweswaraiah Layouts. Jayakar Jerome, the BDA Commissioner during the years 2000 to 2004, was the main architect of the denotifications. Between 1999 and 2004, the BDA has notified more than 18000 acres of land for the Layouts. More than anything else, the Arkavathi Layout was tom tomed as a Mega Project. By this time, the land value in and around Bangalore had skyrocketed. While the BDA used to award less than 10 lakh per acre the prevailing rates were more than 50 lakhs per acre. In some villages where lands were notified, the land rates were hovering around a crore per acre. 

 When this being the case, how one could expect the land owners to hand over their lands to the BDA for a pittance? They looked for other alternatives. The real estate was witnessing a boom and the big names in real estate were prepared to invest crores in Bangalore for their business. They started entering agreements with the land owners whose lands were notified. Later through their political and officials’ links got the lands denotified or deleted from the acquisitions. 

 In the beginning, the rates for denotifications were around 5 to 10 lakh per acre. Later it reached the level of share in the lands. Apart from the ‘politicians, the officials played havoc in the denotifications. Arguably, nobody can match the denotifications of SM Krishna regime. Then, in 2006, the JDS-BJP government under the CM ship of HDD’s son HD Kumaraswamy, came into being, but here too there was not much progress. Kumaraswamy too indulged in denotifications, under pressure from his brother and land developers. During his last day as CM, he allotted 89 acres of BDA lands to the most notorious Housing Society of a big fraud B.Krishna Bhat’ - Viswabharathi Housing Society. Interestingly, B.S.Yeddyurappa, the then Deputy CM also tried his hands at denotifications. 

Once Yedurappa became the Chief Minister in his own right, things began to change for the worst. In one particular case, his sons B.Y.Raghavendra, B.Y.Vijayendra along with son-in-law Sohan Kumar purchased 20 guntas each in Rachenahalli at Rs.20 lakh after getting the land denotified. Later they sold the land to steel cum mining company for 20 crores! And the steel company was shown official favour by Yedurappa. 

There are other similar cases of denotifications by Yedurappa whose ‘kickbacks’ found their way into the companies of his kith and kin. Yedurappa is therefore facing several criminal cases in this regard under Prevention of Corruption Act. The Home Minister R.Ashok, Housing Minister V.Somanna, Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani et al are facing similar cases. Already the Lokayukta police have filed a charge sheet against HD Kumaraswamy in one denotification case. There are few Congress leaders who too are facing denotification cases. The Lokayukta Judge has referred another complaint against SM Krishna, now the Foreign Minister to the Lokayukta police. Dharam Singh, a former CM too is facing a denotification case. The list of leaders who are and will be facing the denotification cases is endless. 

 Whatsoever, the time has come to take a decisive action over the denotification business which is not restricted to one party or one CM or one Minister. There should be an attempt to take action in this regard. 

 It is time; the government should form a three man commission headed by a retired HC Judge along with one serving or retired IAS officer of proven integrity and a prominent personality from the society as its members. The commission should have wide powers including prosecuting the guilty. An investigating cell headed by a top police officer with a representative of revenue legal and prosecution departments as members should be formed. 

 The Commission should probe each and every denotification cases since 1990, study the background and the reasons for denotification. If it is found that the denotification was justified, the case should be certified as such. Otherwise, the investigating cell should identify the politicians, officials and persons involved! Once this is done, prompt action should be initiated including prosecution. And those who were held guilty should be barred from holding any public office for at least 10 years. 

And that is all.