The Deputy Director of Land Records (DDLR) has seemingly given an “easy passage” to land grabbers near Narasipura lake in Vidyaranyapura in the City by regularising the encroached area.
A new survey sketch prepared by the DDLR, a copy of which is with Deccan Herald, shows that there is no encroachment on the lake. However, the tahsildar has neither approved nor certified the new sketch prepared by the DDLR.
In February this year, the DDLR wrote to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), calling it for a joint re-survey of the lake, citing “discrepancies” in the previous survey sketch as the reason for re-survey.
The BBMP officials, however, overlooked the DDLR’s letter, as they found it suspicious. In spite of this, the DDLR went ahead with his plans, without taking the BBMP officials into confidence. He prepared a new survey sketch of the lake, showing that there was no encroachment of the Narasipura lake.
The new survey sketch, however, contradicts the sketch prepared in 2009. The previous map, which was attested by the surveyor and the tahsildar, showed that a large portion of the lake had been encroached on.
“In a way, the DDLR has regularised the encroachment. The way he (DDLR) bombarded us with official letters, followed by a flawed survey sketch, tells us that there is something fishy going on,” said a BBMP official, requesting anonymity.
The new survey sketch has not been accepted by the BBMP although the DDLR has attested it, as it hasn’t yet been approved by the tahsildar. Palike officials and some local resident welfare associations have said that they will challenge the survey sketch in court, if it is approved.
It may be recalled here that on March 11 this year, Deccan Herald had published a report titled, “Land sharks eye a slice of Narasipura Lake,” highlighting the attempts to meddle with the survey sketches.
A Palike engineer said that crores of rupees invested in reviving the lake by the civic agency would go down the drain if the new survey sketch was accepted.