BBMP sits on Mutt’s land grabbing complaint for 14 yrs

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has expressed shock at the Br uhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) sitting on a land grabbing complaint by a Mutt for 14 years. While directing the civic authority to pass orders within eight weeks the HC has also ordered the creation of a dashboard to keep track of all pending quasi-judicial matters in the BBMP.

“A simple matter like this has been pending for the last 14 years, the 1st respondent is directed to look into the same and ascertain if any other such matters are pending and take appropriate action as regards all long pending matters,” the HC directed the Chief Commissioner, BBMP in its recent order.

Further the HC directed that, “A dashboard on similar lines as the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is directed to be established at the BBMP to keep track of all pending quasi-judicial matter, the authority before which the same is pending with links to the order sheet, orders passed therein including daily orders.”

The report on the dashboard should be ready within six weeks, the bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj said. “A study of the NJDG site to be made and any other fields and/or data points required apart from that in NJDG also to be considered by the respondent No.1 for implementation of such a dashboard. A report in connection thereto to be filed within a period of six weeks from today,” the Court ordered.

The SriMariguru Swamigala Kudure Samadhi Gaddige Mutt/ Temple, Shankarapuram, Bengaluru approached the High Court seeking direction to the BBMP to pass a time-bound order in the application filed by it under the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act.

The case dates back to 2010. The power to pass order was earlier with the Zonal Commissioner, BBMP which has now been vested with the Joint/Additional Commissioner. Expressing shock at the delay, the HC said, “This is another shocking case where a quasi-judicial authority has been sitting on the matter from the year 2009-10.

The counsel for the Mutt informed the HC that the matter was initially reserved for orders in April 2012 but the order was never passed. Thrice again in September 2012, November 2014 and October 2015 the matter was reserved for orders but “no proceedings have taken place till date.” The HC gave an earful to the BBMP. “It is rather shocking that for the last nearly 8 years no proceedings have taken place.

The quasi - judicial authorities are required to consider these kinds of matters and pass necessary orders at the earliest and not delay the matter from 2009 to 2023,” the HC directed. Directing that the matter be heard and orders passed within eight weeks, the HC directed the Mutt’s counsel and the BBMP’s counsel to appear before the Joint/ Additional Commissioner on May 22 to address the arguments.