Government: We won’t give beggars land to BDA
BANGALORE: The state government told the High Court that they would not give away the 123.30 acre Beggars Rehabilitation Centre land near Sumanahalli on Magadi Road to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA. Petitioner, Rashtrothana Sanklpa, had filed a Pubic Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Court stating that BDA was constructing a convention centre, a star hotel, commercial and retail centres, office space and entertainment centre on the land, allotted for rehabilitation of beggars. If the land was allotted, the very purpose of the acquisition would be defeated if the respondents are not restrained by suitable orders of the court, the petitioners opined. The petition was filed in June 2010, stating that a government order was passed, transferring the said land to the BDA. After giving away smaller portions of the land, only 38 acres would be left for the Beggars Colony out of the 318 acres, the petitioners stated.
Hearing the petition, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna, directed the state government to file an affidavit within a month, and further directed to submit a detailed report on the land and adjourned the matter to March 5 for further hearing.