Former Congress Chief Minister Siddharamaiah was sympathetic towards MUDA site allottees and took a humanitarian Cabinet decision towards the end of his term. But the bureaucrats responsible to implement the Cabinet decision failed over 25,000 helpless people of these Layouts. Now, BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is showing sympathy and understanding towards the agony of MUDA Layout victims and it is the pious hope of these hapless property owners that this time round the bureaucrats will not fail them.

Mysore/Mysuru: The State Government’s efforts to end the Kurubarahalli Survey No.4 land row, that has been lingering for over five years, has now gained fresh traction with the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department writing to the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner (DC) seeking details of pending litigations in Courts disputing the B-Kharab (Government land) classification of 205.095 acres in Siddartha Layout, 105 acres in K.C. Layout and 44.20 acres in J.C. Nagar coming under Kurubarahalli Survey No.4, in order to de-classify the said land and hand it over to MUDA.

The letter comes after Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa was apprised by officials regarding  removal of Siddartha Layout, K.C. Layout and J.C. Nagar formed by the then City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) and the present Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), from B-Kharab classification, in a bid to end the long-standing row. 

Following the Principal Secretary’s letter, the Revenue Department has come forward to take steps on overcoming the hurdles regarding removal of CITB and MUDA developed Layouts from B-Kharab classification, with top Revenue Department Officer C. Vimalamma writing to Mysuru DC Abhiram G. Sankar. The Officer in her letter has sought information whether there are any pending litigations in Karnataka High Court filed by CITB-MUDA site allottees or the  land owners.

The then Congress Government headed by Siddharamaiah had passed a Cabinet resolution to drop the CITB-MUDA-formed Layouts in Kurubarahalli Survey No. 4 from B-Kharab classification. The Government then decided to bring the Cabinet decision to the notice of the High Court and thereafter pass an order, once all the litigations pending in connection with the row are resolved.

But official apathy delayed bringing the Cabinet decision to the notice of the High Court at the appropriate time, while also displaying negligence in issuing the Government order. This official apathy and negligence has made thousands of property owners in the these Layouts suffer as the B-Kharab classification  refrains them from doing any kind of property transactions, be it selling sites, construction of houses or getting bank loans, etc.

With B-Kharab classification in place, the MCC is not issuing plan approvals for construction of houses or other buildings in these Layouts nor issuing property documents such as Khata transfer.

Disgusted with official apathy, the residents of the these Layouts have often come to the streets, staging massive protests and demonstrations  and submitting numerous representations to the authorities, demanding an end to their woes. But official apathy has continued and now it seems, the time has come for finding a long-lasting solution to the row with the Revenue Department officials, under directions from the Chief Minister, writing to Mysuru DC seeking information on the legal hurdles.