Encroachment of Government and public lands belonging to statutory and local bodies is rampant in Karnataka. Especially in Bangalore Urban and rural Districts, due to the high value of lands, large areas of Government lands like Gomal, Gunduthopu, Tank-beds, Parks, Valleys, Raja Kaluve, Minor Streams, Roads and Civic Amenity sites, which have been extensively encroached upon and converted into buildings and sites, illegally.
Therefore, The Karnataka Legislature had constituted a Joint Legislature Committee in July,2005 for Bangalore Urban District under the Chairmanship of Shri.A.T.Ramaswamy to enquire into the matter and suggest solutions to prevent future encroachments. The JLC made detailed enquiries and submitted two reports to the Legislature. After the dissolution of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in 2007 no action was taken to implement the recommendations of the JLC.
In July, 2009, after discussions in the Legislature on the same issue of encroachments, Government constituted the TASK FORCE FOR THE RECOVERY AND PROTECTION OF PUBLIC LANDS IN SEPTEMBER 2009 with the jurisdiction of the entire state of Karnataka including all the government lands and lands belonging to the statutory bodies and local bodies. The TASK FORCE has no legal powers but has acted through the heads of departments, Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Statutory and local bodies who have been empowered under various Acts for removal of Encroachments.
In the past 20 months, the Task Force has been instrumental in identifying about 123 lakh acres as under encroachment and for the removal of about 47,000 acres. This is hardly 4% of the total area identified.
The Bangalore Urban District consisting of five taluks of Bangalore North Additional, Bangalore East, Bangalore South and Anekal Taluks, some detailed figures are available according to which the total Government land including forests is 1,30,000 acres and the classification being:
1). Gomal and Waste (Kharab and Beedu) :88,355 acres.
2). Tank Bed :26,468 acres.
3).Roads, Raja kaluve and water wiers : 3,246 acres.
4). Graveyards : 599 acres.
5). Forests : 8,486 acres.
6). Others Stautory and local bodies : 3,000 acres.
TOTAL: :1,30,154 Acres.
Of 1,30,154 acres, A Total Reported encroachments in 2006 was 27,336 acres or 21% valued conservatively even at Rs1.5 crores per acre on average, costing Rs40,000 crores.
ENCROACHMENT OF TANK BED IN BANGALORE URBAN DISTRICT:
TALUK TANKS EXTENT NUMBER OF ACRES
(acres) ENCROACHERS
Blore South 248 4791 297 142
Blore North 159 2349 170 145
Blore NAddi 190 7164 827 474
Blore East 139 4682 173 437
Anekal 201 7482 1021 650