Delay in payment of Rs. 39 cr. compensation by KIADB to Ramaswamy of Mysuru, after acquiring 15.33 acres of land at Marase village for Mysore Airport works

Mysore/Mysuru: Following a Court order over not paying compensation to the land acquired, the furniture and other articles at the office of Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) in Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) Office, Metagalli on KRS Road in city were confiscated yesterday.

Articles like photocopy machine, computer, chair, tables and other furniture were seized, following the order of Second Additional Senior Magistrate Court’s in city.

The order pertains to the acquisition of a private layout and Ashwini Resorts belonging to K. Ramaswamy, a resident of Mysuru, by KIADB and handing over to Mysore Airport authorities on Feb. 20, 2007. Ramaswamy had developed a private layout and had built houses and also a resort with buildings on 15.33 acres of land in Survey Numbers-111, 112 and 118 of Marase village in Mysuru taluk. After the acquisition of land by KIADB, Ramaswamy had moved Court claiming suitable compensation for the same.

Counsel explains

Advocate Gerald Castelino, who is the counsel for Ramaswamy provided details related to the case to Star of Mysore.

 “A Court in Mysuru had ordered payment of compensation of Rs. 39 crore in the year 2015, towards the land acquired to Ramaswamy. However, the KIADB did not comply with the order, following which Ramaswamy had moved an application in the Court. Meanwhile, KIADB had appealed against the order at the High Court (HC), citing discrepancies in the amount of compensation fixed to Ramaswamy. The HC had ordered KIADB to deposit at least 50 percent of the total compensation amount within four weeks in the Court. But still, KIADB failed to abide by the order, forcing Ramaswamy to file an appeal at the Court,” said Castelino.

HC reprimands

HC reprimanded KIADB for its non-compliance of the order and had extended the period of depositing the part of the compensation amount for two more weeks, on the plea of KIADB counsel. The Court had instructed KIADB to deposit 50 percent of the compensation amount within the due period, with a warning to be forced to pay the full amount if in case it (KIADB) failed to deposit the amount again. Yet again, KIADB defaulted, but deposited 50 percent of the compensation amount, after the expiry of two weeks period granted by the Court.

Advocate Castelino said, however, we were not ready to accept the delay on the part of KIADB, following which the Court ordered full payment of the compensation. The Court also gave a leniency to Ramaswamy to explore the possibilities of Coercive Act at the lower Court. Accordingly Ramaswamy moved lower Court and got the confiscation order passed against KIADB, leading to seizure of SLAO’s office properties.

“However the value of articles seized is not on par with the compensation due to my client (Ramaswamy). It is just a symbolic action and will file an appeal in the Court again,” said Advocate Castelino.