Bangalore University (BU) officials on Saturday reclaimed more than an acre of land, which they believe was encroached upon by outsiders since 1996.
Regional Commissioner K Shivaram and university officials visited survey number 118 (old number 32), a land measuring 1.21 acres situated opposite Kuvempu Bhasha Bharathi Pradhikara in Mallathahalli.
The alleged illegal occupant, Kanyakumari Education Society (KES), had constructed a compound wall. Shivaram declared it as illegal and instructed demolition of the compounds and some sheds on the piece of land.
“The university got 15 acres of land allotted by the state government in 1974. Of the 2.24 acres of land here, 1.21 acres have been illegally occupied. We will issue a notice to the residents here asking them to vacate the land in seven days,” said Registrar (Administration) B C Mylarappa.
According to Mylarappa, this piece of land is worth Rs15 crore.
“We have all the land records and khatas with us. There is no way the government could have allotted this piece of land to the illegal occupants,” he said.
While the compound wall was completely demolished, KES secretary Hombanna cried foul. “We paid Rs 16.53 lakh for this land way back in 1996. Even the courts have given verdicts favouring us. We got the land for the school and playground. How can the university come here all of a sudden and start demolishing the compound? They should have asked the government that has given us this land,” he said.
He added that he would fight for the land till his last breath.
Meanwhile, Mylarappa vowed to reclaim the remaining 118 acres of university land that has been encroached upon.