TUMAKURU: With about 30 families left shelterless after banks attached the properties in which they were tenants, former MLC Ramesh Babu of the Congress sought the intervention of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Canara Bank and a co-operative bank seized the houses in Banashankari area, under the provisions of SARFAESI Act, 2002, as the buildings against which the owner borrowed loans, have become non-performing assets. They had also got the decree order from court.
Ramesh Babu alleged that since the landlord, TL Manjunath, is the defaulter, evicting the tenants is illegal. The Chief Minister must take action to ensure shelter to the tenants, mostly hailing from the lower strata of society, he said.
On Tuesday evening, the banks seized the houses with the help of revenue officials. The landlord owed the banks Rs 1.5 crore, and reportedly ignored notices served thrice, following which his tenants had to bear the brunt.
As it is an issue between banks and the landlord, none of the local elected representatives had intervened. “The tenants and landlord have to approach a higher court, we cannot intervene when banks have seized the houses under SARFAESI Act, 2002,” clarified Tumakuru Deputy Commissioner YS Patil.