In a strongly worded order, the Karnataka Upalokayukta Justice B. Veerappa has come down heavily on revenue authorities in Mandya district for dubious land grant and failure to clear illegal resorts and encroachments along the Cauvery in Srirangapatna.
The order, issued on November 27, questioned the recommendation for a permanent grant of government land to Chandravana Ashram in Srirangapatana and flagged serious procedural lapses in the process.
The Upalokayukta had initiated suo-motu proceedings on June 10 into the complaints of illegal structures and diversion of the Cauvery river course in survey numbers 164 to 178, noted in its order that there were allegations of encroachments and violation of various land grant rules none of which were clarified by the concerned authorities.
The order slammed the officials for failing to furnish documents related to the 30-year land lease granted to the ashram. The officials were also faulted for not providing clarity on the legal status of certain works despite the government having spent over ₹4.07 crore on a 255-m retaining wall, Yatri Nivas and other amenities.
The decision of the tahsildar’s recommendation on August 5 this year for permanent grant of 1 acre 28 guntas to the Ashram, at guidance value - even though the earlier lease had eight years more years before its expiry, came in for strong criticism.
