Bengaluru lake, intact in revenue maps, ‘sold’

Credit: DH Illustration

The Byatarayanapura lake, which exists on revenue maps, has been carved up and ‘sold’ for real estate development.

Over 25 years, deputy commissioners have allowed conversion of the lake bed for residential use, as per documents available with DH.

According to the Original Pakka Book of Revenue Department, the lake in North Bengaluru, spread over 5 acres and 1 gunta, has been mapped in Survey No 75 of Byatarayanapura hobli. The revenue map, dating back to April 30, 1958, describes it as a “lake bed”.

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The present revenue maps, as reflected in the government’s own Dishaank app, also designate Survey No 75 as a ‘tank’ with the same extent as recorded in 1958.

The lake made an appearance in the draft Comprehensive Development Plan introduced in 2018, but the Revised Master Plan made no mention of it. The lake bed now looks like fallow agricultural land. But, according to documents, it is all set to become a residential layout as authorities have approved its conversion for housing development.

In two orders issued in Oct 2008, the DC of Bengaluru Urban district has ordered that four parts of Survey No 75, spread over 4 acres and 1 gunta, be converted for residential use.

The official further directs the tahsildar to record this status in the Records of Rights,Tenancy and Crops (RTC). The orders were issued following an application by K Shyamaraju.

DH examined at least six sale deeds which show land being transferred from different owners to Shyamaraju, whose name now appears in the RTC documents. Some of the ‘owners’ claim that they had been in possession of the land for decades before the sale.

A senior official in the district administration hinted at dubious changes being made in land documents along the way.

“Conversion of land takes place on the basis of documents submitted by the applicant. Although the deputy commissioner orders verification of the documents, discrepancies can creep in at any stage,” he said.

The government introduced electronic stamp papers after the Telgi scam, and it is not easy to verify sale deeds executed in the pre-2008 era, the official said.

“Only a forensic investigation will reveal the truth,” he observed. K N Chakrapani, BJP leader, called for a detailed inquiry.

“The lake is prime land next to the national highway. A full audit of the documents needs to be conducted. The changes in RTC documents, mutation records and conversion orders have to be verified,” he said.