BENGALURU: The government has recovered 265.24 acres excess land worth Rs 1,500 crore from the Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust.
The Land Tribunal, Bengaluru North taluk, passed an order to this effect on September 22, 2015, and directed the Trust to surrender the excess land out of the total 404.10 acres owned by it. A copy of the order was forwarded to the tahsildar for further action.
The title of the excess land was transferred to the government and the district administration has taken steps to fence it as per provisions of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.
According to the order, passed by Assistant Commissioner N Mahesh Babu, who is the chairman of the Tribunal, the Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust based in Vishwaneedam Post, Bengaluru, filed a declaration in Form No. 11 under provisions of Section 66 of Karnataka Land Reforms Act with respect to land measuring 404 acres 10 guntas, on December 31, 1974, and January 2, 1975, situated at Herohalli village (154.19 acres), Gidadakonehalli village (52.06 acres), Sreegandadakaval (186.34 acres) plus 54.02 acres kharab land.
The Land Tribunal, in its order dated January 12, 2010, came to the conclusion that the trust has 213.20 acres of excess land and it has to be surrendered to the government.
Aggrieved by this order, the Trust submitted a writ petition before the High Court. The High Court, in its order dated March 24, 2014, set aside the tribunal’s order and referred the matter to the tribunal for reconsideration and disposal of the case.
In its order, the Tribunal said that the report submitted by the tahsildar shows that the Trust has its structure in 30 guntas in Survey No. 30, 3 acres and 20 guntas in Survey No. 37, one acre in Survey No. 43, a total of eight acres and 30 guntas in Herohalli village and in Srigandhadakaval village and six acre 10 guntas in Survey No. 13. The tribunal concluded that a total of 15 acres cannot be considered in the total extent of land.
It found that the Trust has 147.37 acres in Herohalli village, 186.34 acres in Sreegandhadakaval and 52.06 acres Giddadakonehalli village — a total of 386.15 acres of land which is classified as ‘D’ Class lands.
Under the provision of Section 63 (7) of Karnataka Land Reforms Act, the Trust may hold property to an extent of 108 acres.
The Trust was unable to convince the Tribunal by producing substantial material evidence that the income from the land was being used solely for the Trust.
“We decided that the Trust is entitled to hold about 108 acres and 265.24 acres will be declared as excess land. The Trust is directed to surrender it in favour of the government,” the Tribunal said.