Blurb: The government has violated the stipulated norms while granting valuable land to religious institutions
BENGALURU
The Congress government has decided to grant Rs 255 crore worth of land in Bengaluru to 22 Dalit and OBC mutts, overruling red flags raised by key departments on giving away gomala land and parcels that are within the city corporation limits. Documents reviewed show that the departments of finance, and law and parliamentary affairs advised against the decision as it might attract legal scrutiny since gomala land could not be alienated or granted to private organisations.
However, senior ministers said such opinions are nothing new and are almost similar for all land-grant requests. The govt made the decision last week. In early 2025, seers from Dalit and Backward Classes had sought land and assistance from the government to run their philanthropic institutions in Bengaluru. As part of the appeal, the president and general secretary of the Backward Dalit Mathadeeshwarara Okkuta, had sought land for 22 of their mutts in Ravuttanahalli, Dasanapura of Bangalore North district. Some 34 acres and 9 guntas on Survey No. 57 and another parcel of 18 acres and 5 guntas on Survey No. 58 were given to these institutions. Each mutt was proposed to get between 20 guntas and four acres, depending on the size of the mutt, its followers and extend of social work.
Supreme Court has directed chief secretaries of all the states and Union territories to preserve poramboku/gomala/kharabu/waterbodies for public use. It further says land proposed to be given falls within 18km from erstwhile BBMP headquarters. As per Karnataka Land Grant Rules-1969, govt land within the city limits shall not be granted to any individual or private institutions and shall be reserved for public purpose. Therefore, there is no provision for granting the land, concluded the departments.
According to the finance department, the land value, as per guidance value, was Rs 1 crore an acre, while the same land, if converted but undeveloped, was worth Rs 1.8 crore. If developed, the land would be worth Rs 4.8 crore an acre. Revenue officials claimed some of these mutts who have been granted land were of recent origin and had no track record to substantiate their philanthropic work.
