Mangaluru: Social activists Lolaksha and Vidya Dinker have demanded that the state government scrap the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Act, 1966. Describing the Act as 'draconian', they also wanted the state government to issue a white paper on the area of land that the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has acquired since 1966 till date and what part of this land has actually been put the use for which the board acquired the land.
Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Lolaksha and Vidya said one does not need to look beyond the land acquisition carried out by KIADB for Suzlon Infrastructure Ltd in Udupi taluk of Udupi district in 2006 as a case in point. The 641.915 acres land acquired in Nadsal, Hejamady, Nandikuru and Palimar has over the years changed hands to Synefra Engineering and Construction Ltd and from them to M/s Aspen Infra Ltd, the current owners of the land.
Aspen Infra on its part is now attempting to sell 147.384 acres of land to a bidder and has placed an advertisement in a national business daily dated February 9, 2016. Lolaksha said the Suzlon R and R Colony Abhivruddhi Samiti in its letter dated March 3, 2016 to Rathna Prabha, additional chief secretary, department of industries and commerce has lodged its strong protest against this proposed sale of land and the officer has assured action against the same.
Lolaksha said when the KIADB went ahead in reclaiming 508.69 acres of land allotted to NTPC, a government of India undertaking on the premise that NTPC did not utilize land for which it was allocated without giving any compensation to it, he wondered why KIADB is not acting against Aspen Infra on the same ground. Development commissioner, SEZ, Kochi in its official website has said 282.97 acres of land with the company is vacant in its processing area.
Wondering why so much land (641.915 acres) was acquired in the first place for Suzlon when it had publicly stated at a public meeting that its requirement was just 150 acres, Vidya said it is sad that KIADB is acting as real estate agent for big corporates. "This is nothing but real estate business that the government is conducting," she said demanding a white paper will help establish this truth. KIADB must return the unused land to their rightful owners under zameen wapsi, she said.
Lolaksha said if CM Siddaramaiah stands by his socialist credentials, then he should incorporate salient features of The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 as introduced by then Congress led UPA government in to the KIAD Act, 1966. The government must also stand by its own New Industrial Police 2014-19 which speaks about long term lease of land and not its outright sale to anyone.
m.sadiq ali baig, shimoga 01 Oct 2016
Wp.no 16598/2014 gm kiadb.order dated 17/02/2016 passad the orders in high court of karnataka unused land sy no 73/2 total 9A 22gts rmng unused 7A 7gts sale deed done to company but hc orders in Wp no 16598/2016gmkiadb
