Belagavi City Corporation returns land to owners following Karnataka High Court order

Following its submission before the High Court of Karnataka, the Belagavi city corporation has begun the process of returning land to a businessman whose lands were admittedly taken over without due process of land acquisition. The process is expected to be completed before Monday (September 23, 2024).

BCC had earlier resolved to pay compensation to the land loser Balasaheb Patil, owner of Patson auto mobile agencies in Shahapur who had lost around 22 guntas to road widening and development. He had approached the court saying the urban local body had taken over his lands with neither his consent nor compensation. The court admitted a contempt petition after Mr Patil’s repeated pleas to the city corporation failed to pay after four years.

In a recent extraordinary meeting, the BCC resolved to pay compensation to the tune of around ₹23 crore. The council also empowered the city corporation commissioner and law officer to take the best interests of the corporation and the city, within the legal framework.

Ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Lakshmi Hebbalkar had disagreed with the council’s decision to compensate land losers. Satish Jarkiholi said the BCC could end up losing most of its funds if it were to pay ₹23crore out of the ₹35 crore set aside for development and administration.

He pointed out that the corporation would have to pay over ₹100 crore as there were six other, similar cases. The officers submitted before the court that they would return the land and stop road development work in the said site. The court ordered them to complete transfer before the next hearing on September 23.

Revenue and land records officers conducted a survey of the developed land, including the road and its shoulders on Friday and Saturday. A spot inspection and collecting the signatures of five witnesses of residents of the locality were completed. Officers closed the road from Bank of India corner to old Pune – Bengaluru road, that was built on the property.

BCC commissioner Ashok Dudagunti, Smart city managing director Syeda Afreen Banu Ballari, and other officers have initiated the process of returning the land. “The physical possession of the property has been transferred. All the related documents are being either shared, transferred or mutated if necessary,’‘ a BCC officer said. “The whole process would be completed in a day and a letter of completion would be submitted to the court on Monday (September 23, 2024)’‘ the officers said.

In its recent order, the court asked officers to complete transfer by September 22 and seek police support if necessary. It warned the commissioner of a fine and entries in service records.

The petitioner’s lawyers have said they would explore possibilities of seeking relief for the mental harassment suffered by their client and additional compensation for the damage caused to the property.