CM to act on land 'grabbers'

Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh on Tuesday asserted that the government will initiate action against land 'grabbers' in and around the city but remained non-commital on ruling coalition partner JDS' demand for a CBI inquiry into land grabbing.

Singh told reporters here that he had directed officials to look into the extent of land grabbing and he will take action on the basis of the report submitted by them. The government, he said, had already made it clear that it was determined to crack down on land grabbers.

"We will see', he said when asked about the demand for a CBI probe by former prime minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda, who has threatened to take to the streets to pressure the government to recover encroached lands.

Asked about the Karnataka high court verdict quashing the notifications issued by the Bangalore Development Authority for acquisition of lands for forming the Arkavathy Layout to distribute 28,600 sites in one of BDA's ambitious projects, he said the government was yet to receive the copy of judgement.

Singh said he had a meeting with officials concerned and the matter will be brought before the cabinet which will decide on filing an appeal against the single judge's verdict which, he asserted, had not come as a setback to government.

He said out of the Rs 963 crore received for the allocation of sites, Rs 903 crore had been returned to the applicants, with Rs 60 crore remaining with the BDA.