The New Indian Express, 22 Feb 2014, Bangalore: Declaring that he would meet the Governor soon to demand action against Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, social activist S R Hiremath on Friday accused the minister of buying 10 acres of land allotted for a layout in Kodigehalli.
Hiremath claimed the land of the NTI Employees’ House Building Co-operative Society was under acquisition for formation of a layout. The activist said the Society was among the 45 house building co-operative societies (HBCS) indicted by a committee in 1988. Though the initial request for land was for 66 acres in Kodigehalli village, it was increased to 171.37 acres in just two months. However, in the agreement between the society and the government in 1984, a total of 322 acres in three villages — Kodigehalli, Kothihosahalli and Byatarayanapura — were acquired.
In 2005, Shivakumar allegedly bought 10 acres in survey numbers 65(p), 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70 at Kodigehalli for `10 crore. Hiremath accused the Minister of purchasing the land through his personal assistant N Chandrashekhar for SBG Housing Pvt Ltd. “The purchased land was under acquisition and Chandrashekhar mortgaged the property with Andhra Bank in 2011 and raised `75 crore. This is illegal as the land was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act. Further, SBG Housing Ltd even transferred it to a Mumbai-based real estate firm to construct an apartment complex,” Hiremath alleged.
Meanwhile, reacting to MLA Ramesh Kumar’s statements, Hiremath said his NGO, Samaj Parivartana Samudaya (SPS), was ready for any probe into funds received by it from foreign countries.
“The organisations, including SPS, fighting against people who have encroached government and forest lands, will intensify protests. Kumar’s baseless allegations are vengeful acts of a person who has not only grabbed over 60 acres of forest land but continues to occupy the land,” Hiremath maintained.
Web: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/DKS-Bought-Allotted-Land-Says-Hiremath/2014/02/22/article2071064.ece#.Uwns5mKSxIA