RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad has accused officials and land mafias of illegally acquiring 762 acres and 20 gunta of government land in the Belagavi district, allegedly backed by ministers and public representatives. Gadad labeled this as the state’s largest land scam. He highlighted that in Devanakatti village of Raibag taluk, 254 acres of land—152 acres and 20 gunta in survey No. 59 and 101 acres and 20 gunta in survey No. 79—should have been recorded as government property. However, due to omissions in the records, the land was registered under private ownership by officials and private parties.
Additionally, Gadad pointed out that 508 acres and 20 gunta of government land in survey No. 03 of Huland village in Jamboti hobli, Khanapur taluk, was originally designated for villagers. On October 15, 2024, the Khanapur tahsildar allegedly removed the term “Oorina ella janaru” (all people of the village) from the records, enabling this land to be misappropriated.
“I have been pursuing the Devanakatti land issue for two months, but no action has been taken,” Gadad stated at a press conference. He claimed that despite the land clearly belonging to the government, officials have failed to update records due to pressure from influential individuals. Gadad urged opposition leaders to bring attention to this land-grabbing issue in the legislature to safeguard public rights instead of focusing solely on matters like Muda and waqf.
