Madikeri: The revenue department found encroachment of government lands by large estate owners including the well-known Tata Group and succeeded in clearing the encroached areas with help from police force.
A lot of government lands have been encroached upon by large estate owners around Suntikoppa and the revenue officials are now trying to acquire the government land. In the seventh Hoskote region revenue officials found 6.78 acres in survey no 126 and 5.42 acres in survey no 124 of government land encroached upon by Tata Group which owns an estate in the same area. These survey numbers are near Nallur Estate owned by Tata group in Bhootanakadu Uruparambu surroundings.
Kambibane Gram Panchayath had earlier requested the revenue department officials to clear the encroached portion and allot the same to the poor towards construction of houses.
When the revenue officials including the revenue inspector, village accountant and staff had gone to clear the encroached land on an earlier occasion, they were sent back by the Tata group executives raising several objections of their own.
With the help from the administration, the encroached land was cleared after the tahsildar issued orders. Sign boards were installed immediately to indicate the land belonged to the government, banning unauthorised entry.
There may be several such violations by estate owners in the entire district and if the revenue department takes serious action many without shelter particularly the tribals may get a roof over their head.
