19/11/2014
Now, land mafia targets Bangalore University campus
Cuts trees, carries out levelling work; the varsity brass has alerted the police
The sprawling Bangalore University's Jnana Bharathi campus spread across 1,100 acres, one of the few surviving lung spaces in Bengaluru, has been constantly a soft target for poachers and sandalwood smugglers. Now it is being targeted by land grabbers.
Miscreants recently bulldozed and damaged demarcation stones inside the social forest under Bangalore University. With this first attempts at land grab by rich realtors, BU brass have alerted the police and decided to conduct a survey of the university land.
A few people, who barged into the social forest attached to the university campus abutting NGEF layout on November 8, November 9 and November 16, claimed to be owners of the land and cut trees and plants and levelled the land, said residents who opposed the entrants.
"The land has been under the university for decades. However, unusual activities have started of late, more so since the last 15 days as land grabbers seem to have set their eyes on the area. They came in large numbers and cut trees. When questioned, they claimed the land was their private property. Immediately, we informed the vice-chancellor and the local police," a resident of NGEF layout told Bangalore Mirror.
The first group entered the forest/university campus, which is also attached to ISEC (Institute for Social and Economic Change), last Saturday. The day being the second Saturday, a government holiday, local residents grew suspicious. Those who entered the area used chains and marked boundaries. When asked whether they had permission to do so, they had no answer. The issue will be brought to the forest department's notice, residents said.
"We had planted several saplings around as it's a forest and protected area. Upon questioning the private people who were cutting trees inside without permission, they claimed two acres in the vicinity belonged to them. They cut plantations and also levelled the ground including that abutting the Vrushbhavati that flows inside the campus. Though they claimed that two acres belonged to them, they cut trees and saplings on an area covering more than two acres. It was all done illegally, trespassing government land," a resident said.
Bangalore University brass who came to know of the happenings alerted the police immediately. Bangalore University vice-chancellor B Thimme Gowda said the university would act tough against any illegal encroachments.
"The issue has come to my notice. Some people had come to me with some papers claiming the land to be theirs. The papers showed the transfer of land between two or three people. We told them it will be verified. I have asked the surveyor to survey the land. I have also told the police about it. We are yet to know if these papers are fabricated or genuine. We are verifying these. I'm told that the land in question belonged to NGEF layout in the past, and was then transferred to BDA for formation of a park. The question is how some individuals can claim government land as their own. All aspects are being looked into. We have asked the surveyor to study the land and the police to remove all encroachments. Some people are trying to create trouble, which won't be tolerated. Government land will be protected and fenced," Thimme Gowda said.
