HASSAN: Finally, the three-decade-old multi-crore land scam of the Hemavathi rehabilitation project seems to be reaching its logical end. The Hassan district administration has cancelled 971 illegal land allotments made to alleged bogus beneficiaries in the guise of rehabilitation under the project.
A fact-finding committee, comprising senior officials including the then assistant commissioners Kavita Rajaram and Dr Ngaraj and the project executive engineer, investigated the scandal and submitted a report recommending action against erring officials following directions from Mohamed Mohisin, director, land and records.
Based on the report, then deputy commissioner Girish had submitted a detailed report to the principal secretary of the Revenue Department. The district crime branch police served notices to 210 revenue employees in various capacities, including four assistant commissioners, 38 tahsildars, four special land acquisition officers, 21 deputy tahsildars, 33 revenue inspectors and 26 first-division assistants, who served between 2005 and 2019, for their alleged involvement in the scam.
The fact-finding report stated that the officials had sanctioned land parcels after allegedly collaborating with bogus land owners and middlemen. Sources said the revenue officials had sanctioned over 3,000 acres, including 2,000 acres of forest land, to bogus beneficiaries. The police are now in a dilemma to act against the alleged bogus beneficiaries.
Deputy Commissioner C Satyabhama said the district administration has decided to take the issue to its logical end and there is no question of neglecting this long-pending issue. Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, who visited Hassan recently, said the state government is looking at the issue seriously and senior officials have been directed to take strict action against officials who have been found guilty.
The Chikkamagaluru district administration has cancelled the allotment of over 6,000 acres of land illegally granted based on bogus records in Kadur and Mudigere taluks, he added.