Dedicated Task Force soon to protect MDA properties: Commissioner

Mysore/Mysuru: Officials of the Mysuru Development Authority (MDA) demolished an unauthorised building under construction on a Civic Amenities (CA) site, valued at lakhs of rupees, at Vajamangala, Mysuru Taluk.

Acting on the orders of MDA Secretary L. Johnson, officers and staff carried out the operation between 5.45 am and 8 am today using earth-movers.

According to the official notification issued on Jan. 27, the land in Varuna hobli, Vajamangala village (6 guntas in Survey No. 30/1, 31 guntas in Survey No. 30/2 and 37 guntas in Survey No. 30/6, totalling 1.34 acres) had received final approval for a residential layout plan on July 4, 2019.

Within this plan, 378.18 sq. metres was reserved as a CA site, valued at around Rs. 80 to Rs. 90 lakh, and belonging to MDA. However, Raghavendra P.C. Educational and Charitable Trust had begun unauthorised construction of a school building on the site.

The notification directed that the illegal structure be removed. Following the directive, MDA officials demolished the under-construction building and installed a board marking the land as an MDA CA site.

Alanahalli and Udayagiri Police provided security during the operation. MDA Executive Engineer Nagesh, Assistant Executive Engineers Manjunath, Mohan Kumar and Sampath Kumar, along with Assistant Director of Town Planning Sridhar, Junior Engineer G. Rajashekar and Surveyor Hanumegowda participated in demolition drive.

Rising encroachment incidents

Several residential layouts developed by the MDA have been handed over to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and other Local Bodies. However, many properties originally owned by the MDA are nowfacing encroachment.

After the transfer, it becomes the responsibility of the Mysuru City Corporation, Town Municipal Councils, City Municipal Councils and Town Panchayats to protect these assets. However, officials often lack clarity about which lands belong to the MDA and which fall under their respective jurisdictions.

Due to poor monitoring by the authorities, vested interests have taken advantage of  the confusion and encroached upon several properties. Although it is the duty of local body officials to remove unauthorised constructions, their inaction has emerged as a major reason for the growing number of  encroachments.