Belagavi IT Park: Land Belongs To Ministry Of Defense, Not GoK

Minister of Science and Technology of Karnataka, C N Ashwath Narayan had requested Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hand over 750 acres of defence land in Belagavi to set up a software technology park. MLA Abhay Patil had identified government open land of 745 acres along Pune-Bengaluru National Highway from Survey No 1304 to 1349 near Kanbargi for establishing IT Park. This was first taken into consideration for the Suvarna Soudha from the Military but SVS was shifted to Halaga and this land now is in the name of the State Govt. They claimed that the land belongs to the State of Karnataka. Now the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has sent the following letter - The same matter has been now examined by the Ministry of Defence and replied to IT BT minister of Karnataka, C.N.Ashwanth Narayan on 30th October 2021. “Please refer to your letter dated 15.01.2021 regarding the Government land in Belagavi which is earmarked as pasture land as per State Government land records. The matter has been examined. It has been informed that the subject land admeasuring 754 acres 33 guntas(754.82 acres) comprising Sy. Nos. 1304 to 1307, 1324 to 1350 and 1397 (total 31 Sy. Nos) in village Turkamatti, Belagavi popularly known as Military Farm land Turkamatti was transferred to the then Commissarial (Military) Department vide Bombay Government Resolutions No. 4913 dated 30/06/1873 and No.3242 dated 09/06/1875 when Belagavi was part of Bombay Presidency. Since then the land is in continuous occupation of Military for the past 140 years. The details of the said land have been recorded in Military land Register held by Defence Estates Officer, Bengaluru. It has further been informed that, out of the total land, areas admeasuring 13.625 acres and 20 acres were transferred by MoD to the State Government and ICMR during 1978 & 1984 respectively on payment of transfer value, The balance land measuring 721.195 acres is described as Military Grass Farm and is placed under the management of QMG. Till 2006, Military “Farm was producing hay/fodder for the cattle on part of the said land. However, the land is yet to be mutated in favor of MoD in the revenue records. It has also been informed that the Defence Estates Officer, Bangalore has submitted all relevant documents related to the ownership of said land by MoD to the District Collector, Belagavi during 2013 in response to the order dated 23.11.2012 passed by the State Govt to take over the said land. In view of the above facts, may I request you to get the land mutated in favour of UOI so that such disputes do not arise in future.” Source: https://belagaviinfra.co.in/ - The said info was got as an RTI reply. http://all.allaboutbelgaum.com/news/speed-up-of-handing-over-the-defence-land-to-facilitate-building-an-it-park-ashwath-narayan/ http://all.allaboutbelgaum.com/news/abhay-patil-to-introduce-two-private-members-bill-in-assembly/