The Karnataka government is preparing to launch a fresh, high-level inquiry into chronic land acquisition disputes that have plagued multiple state departments. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced on Saturday that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be established to examine irregularities and identify officials and legal professionals responsible for case delays and massive financial losses to the state treasury.
Speaking after a comprehensive review at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar confirmed the necessity of the direct intervention. He stated the SIT will initially focus on two key areas:
“We are forming an SIT to investigate irregularities in land acquisition for the Irrigation and Bengaluru Development departments. The guilty officials will be suspended.”
The Scale of the Problem and Financial Burden
Shivakumar highlighted the sheer volume of unresolved cases, noting that approximately 61,843 disputes related to various Irrigation agencies alone are still pending. He pointed out severe financial discrepancies resulting from negligence:
- Financial Disadvantage: He cited instances where the Irrigation department initially estimated compensation at ₹9 lakh but ultimately faced court-mandated orders to pay ₹9 crore, a tenfold increase that severely disadvantages the state.
- Official Negligence: The Deputy CM directly attributed the delays and financial escalation to officials and members of the legal team who failed to file necessary applications on time. He confirmed that the Revenue Department’s own investigation in the Bengaluru city jurisdiction had already found that “officials and the legal team have wasted time by not filing applications at the right time.”
Action Against Lawyers and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Shivakumar pledged to hold the state’s legal representatives accountable for poor performance and negligence.
- Lawyer Accountability: Out of the 219 lawyers currently engaged in handling land cases, Shivakumar said, “We will remove all those lawyers who are not responsible and appoint new ones. This is a historic decision to save the face of the department.”
- New Review Unit: To fix accountability, a separate unit will be formed to review cases and record the arguments made by government lawyers. Similar measures will be implemented across the BDA (Bengaluru Development Authority) and GBA (Greater Bengaluru Authority) jurisdictions.
- Dispute Authority: The government is considering an alternative dispute resolution mechanism under a retired judge. Shivakumar noted: “Under the new regulations, there is a provision for an authority under a retired judge. This Authority can resolve land acquisition cases outside the judicial system. We will take a decision on the formation of the Authority at the government level.”
The Deputy CM concluded by stating that a special team has been put in place to submit a preliminary report within the next 10 to 15 days. If deemed necessary after that review, the full-fledged SIT will be officially formed for a comprehensive investigation.