The Karnataka High Court
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has asked the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner to tone up issues in his office by changing the horizon of thinking of the organization about litigation.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice PS Dinesh Kumar and Justice TG Shivashankare Gowda said this to N Jayaram, BDA Commissioner, who appeared before the court on Tuesday in connection with a pending Regular First Appeal (RFA) filed by a landowner from Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru.
The bench told the commissioner, “You go in disguise to your office. See how your office is reeking. There are hundreds of agents who claim to get the work done. People are shooed away. The letters we are receiving at Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) are very painful,” the bench said.
In the case at hand, one Muddegowda had challenged the order, alleging that a portion of his land at Gidadakonenahalli, Yeshwanthpur hobli, had been encroached by the BDA while forming the Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout. The civil court had rejected his suit in 2015.
During the hearing, it was noted that the BDA had made use of 15 guntas of land belonging to the appellant way back in 2003. However, even after 21 years, the BDA had failed to compensate the owner of the land. The BDA submitted that Muddegowda had been claiming that more than 18 guntas of his land was encroached and requested for a fresh survey to be conducted.
“After 21 years, you want to survey the land to find out (the portion of encroachment). What should a citizen do in this country? Suppose you are the owner of the land, what would you do?” the bench asked the BDA commissioner. The court asked, while the dispute is only about three to four guntas, why compensation was not paid to the admitted land of 15 guntas. The court posted the matter to Thursday for further consideration.