“There is no meaning in auctioning government land as vested interests will inadvertently take over," says retired IAS officer V Balasubramanian.
Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday discussed the auctioning of government land parcels that were seized from encroachers. The Karnataka government also expects to make Rs 3,000 crore from the sale of these prime properties including land that was leased out to various institutions. According to TOI, in the first phase, litigation-free land covering an area of 107 acres, estimated to cost Rs 500 crore will be sold via e-auction. The government is planning to sell these properties as the state’s coffers are depleting in the wake of the pandemic. Besides, during the 2020-21 budget, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had mentioned that the government is short on funds. According to Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban, Shivamurthy, the Bengaluru Development Authority is planning to sell civic amenities sites to 21 trusts, which was also mentioned in the TOI report. These include religious and educational institutes, and various recreational clubs. In addition, 1,200 civic amenities sites that were leased to private persons including Bangalore Golf Club, will be sold. The total sale value is pegged at Rs 3,000 crore. However, Shivamurthy told TNM that the state government will have stipulations on what sort of constructions can come up on these land parcels. “In civic amenities sites being sold large parcels of land will be mandated to have public spaces like parks and playgrounds,” he added. Is auctioning government land a good idea? Speaking to TNM, retired IAS officer V Balasubramanian, who had written an 87-page report titled 'Greed and Connivance' in 2011, had pointed out how connivance of government officials had allowed land grabbing in Bengaluru city. Balasubramanian maintains that auctioning government land will only ensure that it would end up in the hands of vested interests. “In 2010 and 2011, when the BJP government was in power, the then Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner and Revenue Secretary had auctioned off government land. At the time, we found that these land parcels were purchased by real estate people, who were in fact encroaching on these lands. But they were bought through benami companies. It was then the government stopped auctioning these properties and now it has started again,” V Balasubramanian said. In his report, V Balasubramanian had documented how a residential layout in Whitefield had “stolen” 40 acres of government land after the government had granted the land for a chicory manufacturing unit in 1966. Another shocking revelation was how a hospital located near Bannerghatta Road, is located on 5 acres of land that was given by the government to a third party for the construction of a cancer hospital which never materialised. “There is no meaning in auctioning government land as vested interests will inadvertently take over. The auction will be rigged and obviously no person outside the real estate sphere will bid. Huge parcels of land will be sold to select parties and the price the government will get is negligible when actually, the market value would be close to rs 1 lakh crore,” Balasubramanian added. What can be done instead? V Balasubramanian suggested that the government use these seized properties for rehabilitation of slums within the city. Currently, the state government and the Karnataka Slum Development Board end up shifting slum dwellers 20 to 30 km away from the city after rehabilitation. “Slum dwellers need to be within the city so they can reach their work places without having to spend too much money. These parcels of land are located within the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) limits. The slum board should be allowed to construct alternative housing for the poor in this land,” he added.
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