BENGALURU: The state government has decided to slap criminal cases against the presidents and senior officials of several gram panchayats in Bengaluru North taluk for perpetrating large-scale illegal land deals.
Announcing the decision here on Thursday, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil said the action is being taken based on the probe report submitted by a committee headed by retired IAS officer R B Agavane.
Criminal cases will be filed against Gram Panchayat presidents Puttashamachar (Arakere), G Mahalakshmi (Huralichikkanahalli), Shobha (Marenahalli), Subbaiah (Bagalur) and S Narayan (Hesaraghatta), Patil said.
Criminal cases will also be filed against the Executive Officers of these GPs and they have been suspended from service with immediate effect, he said.
Patil said the probe has found that these officials created fake documents and violated government orders by conniving with land developers and sub-registrars.
The probe was initiated following complaints from the public in the taluk about frauds in land registrations, creation of fake khatas, and encroachments by land developers and influential persons by misusing the E-Swathu software. In all, records of 6,510 properties were found to have been tampered with and illegal documents created, the minister said. The startling revelations has forced the state government to stop issuing ‘B’ Khatas for properties under the limits of these gram panchayats.
Patil said the government will ensure that the gram panchayat heads and other officials who were involved in the scam, receive the maximum punishment by pursuing the case diligently.