Mysuru: Member of Mysuru royal family Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs, who had petitioned the Supreme Court against land acquisition at Vijayashreepura by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and succeeded, has once again moved the SC regarding the compensation to be paid to him and his family members by MUDA.  

Sources said that a petition has been filed three days back and when Star of Mysore contacted Chaduranga Kantharaj Urs over phone this morning, he said that the case was in the SC and it would not be proper for him to give details at this juncture. He also denied that he has filed a fresh petition. But MUDA authorities said that the petition has been filed and the SC has posted the hearing to Jan. 12.

It may be recalled here that in June 2017, MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar and Kantharaj Urs had said that the solution to the Vijayashreepura Layout was reached amicably at a meeting with CM Siddharamaiah.

As per the solution, Kantharaj Urs would withdraw his petition in the SC and accept the compensation from MUDA. Dhruvakumar had then said that the MUDA would pay the compensation to Kantharaj Urs and his family as per the 2001 guidance value and as per Section 180 of Karnataka Land Acquisition Act 1961. Agreeing for Dhruvakumar’s proposal, Kantharaj Urs had said that he would withdraw the petition in the SC.

Dhruvakumar told SOM this morning that MUDA would pay a compensation of Rs. 56 crore. Summoning records from MUDA Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) Indiramma, Dhruvakumar said that there were five claimants for the compensation in Kantharaj Urs’ family.

“As per the directions of Karnataka Urban Development Department Under-Secretary, we have decided to pay Rs. 56 crore compensation. While the government has asked us to submit the compensation cheque to the Supreme Court, Kantharaj Urs has requested us to directly hand over the cheque to him. This will not be possible as there are multiple claimants,” he said.

The MUDA Chairman said that of the Rs. 56 crore, JSS institutions (a part of the land has been given to the JSS institutions by MUDA to set up colleges) have to pay Rs. 28 crore. “We are ready with the remaining Rs. 28 crore that MUDA has to pay and we will get the money from the JSS either today or tomorrow,” he said.

Meanwhile, it is learnt, Kantharaj Urs is seeking higher compensation as per today’s market value. According to a realtor, the present market value of the land is more than Rs. 2,000 crore.

CASE BACKGROUND

The then City Improvement Trust Board (now MUDA) acquired the 94.28-acre land abutting Manasagangothri, the PG campus of University of Mysore in 1984-85 (final acquisition in 1988) which was questioned in the Court by Kantharaj Urs and his family as MUDA failed to pay compensation. Later, MUDA allotted 15 acres to JSS Mahavidyapeetha. Out of the remaining 79.28 acres, 23.5 acres was developed as Vijayashreepura Layout. Hearing the petition filed by Kantharaj Urs, the Apex Court, on Dec. 16, 2015, had ruled against the acquisition of the land by MUDA and had ordered demolition of the buildings.  The SC order, however, has not been implemented following appeals from residents.