Ballari admin sets up panel to clear encroached land

Ballari: The district administration constituted a special task force to identify and remove encroachments on govt land in Ballari city. Deputy commissioner K Nagendra Prasad stated at a special meeting here on Saturday, that the move aimed to prevent illegal occupation and sale of govt land, including properties allotted to govt departments, boards and institutions, or acquired for public purposes. Authorities noticed instances where such lands were encroached upon and illegally registered or sold as plots.The high-level task force will be headed by the additional deputy commissioner. Members include the municipal corporation commissioner, Ballari Urban Development Authority commissioner, deputy superintendents of police of Ballari city and rural subdivisions, the deputy director of land records, assistant directors of land records (urban and rural), and the assistant commissioner. The Ballari tahsildar will serve as the member secretary.In the first phase, officials will prepare a comprehensive list of govt lands in Ballari city that are allotted to institutions, acquired for specific purposes, or transferred to various departments and boards.Field inspections will then be carried out by revenue officials, surveyors and village administrative officers to verify the status of these lands. If encroachments are detected, surveys will be conducted to identify and map the occupied areas.Based on the findings, the tahsildar will initiate action under relevant provisions of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act to remove encroachments and take legal action against violators, the deputy commissioner said.The task force will set timelines for clearing encroachments and review progress through monthly meetings, with reports to be submitted to the deputy commissioner. Urgent cases will be reported immediately, K Nagendra Prasad said.