<p>The BBMP has suspended three revenue officials for “favouring” a real estate company in the registration of khata for a large parcel of land in eastern Bengaluru. </p>.<p>Revenue Inspector Lokesh Babu, Revenue Officer Kemparangaiah and Assistant Revenue Officer (Marathahalli) Doddashamachari were suspended by the BBMP joint commissioner (income tax) following a departmental inquiry. </p>.<p>Shankar Shastri, Co-founder, Sterling Urban Infra Projects, had applied under Sakala for the registration of khata for 32 acres and 27 guntas of land near Amani Bellandur Kane. He allegedly submitted the application without producing the requisite documents of land conversion and registration. </p>.<p>While Sterling Properties applied for khata registration on December 10, 2018, the suspended officials allegedly approved the application three days before, on December 7. They issued a memo (regarding the registration of khata) from the joint commissioner’s office on the day of application, December 10. </p>.<p>The revenue inspector issued a special notice on January 1, 2019, explaining that property tax on 32 acres and 27 guntas had been imposed from 2018-2019 onwards.</p>.<p>This was in clear violation of Section 143 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, which states that any applicant for new khata registration must pay property tax for the last seven years from the year of commencement of the application. In this case, the property tax should have been paid from 2011-2012 onwards. </p>.<p>The three BBMP officials were required to verify the documents, prepare a definitive report and send it to the higher authorities (the zonal joint commissioner) for approval. But they failed to carry out the verification and simply sent the report to the higher authorities. </p>.<p>The BBMP’s Mahadevapura Joint Commissioner, Jagadish, and Deputy Commissioner Shivegowda K are under departmental enquiry for alleged lapses. </p>.<p>No BBMP official, including the joint commissioner, can approve such applications unless all the necessary applicants are submitted. </p>
<p>The BBMP has suspended three revenue officials for “favouring” a real estate company in the registration of khata for a large parcel of land in eastern Bengaluru. </p>.<p>Revenue Inspector Lokesh Babu, Revenue Officer Kemparangaiah and Assistant Revenue Officer (Marathahalli) Doddashamachari were suspended by the BBMP joint commissioner (income tax) following a departmental inquiry. </p>.<p>Shankar Shastri, Co-founder, Sterling Urban Infra Projects, had applied under Sakala for the registration of khata for 32 acres and 27 guntas of land near Amani Bellandur Kane. He allegedly submitted the application without producing the requisite documents of land conversion and registration. </p>.<p>While Sterling Properties applied for khata registration on December 10, 2018, the suspended officials allegedly approved the application three days before, on December 7. They issued a memo (regarding the registration of khata) from the joint commissioner’s office on the day of application, December 10. </p>.<p>The revenue inspector issued a special notice on January 1, 2019, explaining that property tax on 32 acres and 27 guntas had been imposed from 2018-2019 onwards.</p>.<p>This was in clear violation of Section 143 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, which states that any applicant for new khata registration must pay property tax for the last seven years from the year of commencement of the application. In this case, the property tax should have been paid from 2011-2012 onwards. </p>.<p>The three BBMP officials were required to verify the documents, prepare a definitive report and send it to the higher authorities (the zonal joint commissioner) for approval. But they failed to carry out the verification and simply sent the report to the higher authorities. </p>.<p>The BBMP’s Mahadevapura Joint Commissioner, Jagadish, and Deputy Commissioner Shivegowda K are under departmental enquiry for alleged lapses. </p>.<p>No BBMP official, including the joint commissioner, can approve such applications unless all the necessary applicants are submitted. </p>