Bangalore: A piece of land used as a road has become the bone of contention for its alleged owner and the area residents in Karumariamman Nagar on Tannery Road.
Local MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy is pulled onto the dock as this piece of land is being constantly attempted to be encroached by land mafia using his name – reason being 12 years ago, this piece of land was acquired by the MLA from its owner for the purpose of an approach road to the area.
According to Srinivasa Murthy, the owner of the land, a widow was given an alternate land 12 years ago, but somehow the land was not registered in her name when an encumbrance certificate was sought by the widow’s son from the registrar’s department.
Now according to the residents, a lot of people assume that it is an unclaimed property and are trying to encroach upon it.
This piece of land was being used as road for more than a decade by the local residents.
Sanitation systems and electricity lines have been laid through this land. This is the main approach road for about 50 families residing in the Karumariamman Nagar layout.
“If this road is closed, we are left with only a narrow road that connects the main road. The narrow road can hardly accommodate an autorickshaw, imagine how can an ambulance or a fire tender find its way in here” asks Mujahid Baasha, a resident.
Bunch of local goons arrived late last week and started constructing a compound wall on the road.
Residents joined together and protested against them and chased them away” said Mohammad Rafiq, another resident.
The residents are in the process of collecting signatures of all the occupants and filing a petition with the corporation and the police authorities to retain the piece of land as a road for them.
The area MLA, Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy told Deccan Chronicle that he has to find out a remedy for the problem at the earliest.
He is on the verge of talking to the BBMP about expediting a TDR for the widow and making the piece of land a permanent road for the residents.
