BPL land row: Farmers file complaint against Katta, KIADB

DHNS

July 6, 2017

Bengaluru, Jul 6: Farmers of Sompura village in Nelamangala taluk of Bengaluru Rural district have filed a complaint with the Lokayukta against former Industries minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for allowing BPL India Ltd to use industrial land for real estate benefit.

The complaint filed by Kempanna, a resident of Bharatipura in Sompura, stated that the original land owners deserved further compensation as BPL, which was into manufacturing of television sets, failed to provide employment to the family members of the land losers.

KIADB had allotted 149 acres and 5.5 guntas in Sompura village to BPL in 1995 for setting up manufacturing units of colour picture tubes nd batteries. The villagers were awarded a compensation of Rs 1.1 lakh per acre, while the barren land was sold to BPL for Rs 3.80 lakh per acre. KIADB had laid down certain conditions in the lease deed which mandated BPL to submit blue print within one month, complete the construction of the factory within 20 months and mandatorily provide employment to the family members of the land losers in the factories.

“Around 60 families lost land. However, BPL did not use more than five acres and our requests for more compensation was also turned down by KIADB stating that BPL would provide jobs to our family members. In 2004, KIADB also allowed mortgage of land to raise loans from Bank of Baharain and Kuwait. Next year, BPL requested KIADB to execute an absolute sale deed in its favour,” Kempanna said.

On this requisition, KIADB issued a show cause notice to BPL asking why lands could not be restored in view of the latter using only 5.5% of the land. BPL then approached the then Minister for Large and Medium Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu requesting him to direct KIADB to ‘unconditionally’ execute the sale deed. On the directions of the minister, KIADB executed the sale deed in 2006.

The complainants have produced sale deeds executed by the BPL, which showed that 16 years after the lands were allotted to start industry, BPL sold the entire 149 acres and 5.5 guntas to different industries for a whopping Rs 350 crore. “The agricultural lands were acquired by KIADB to allow BPL to start industry and also provide jobs to locals. Without starting any industry, BPL made real estate business while the minister and KIADB helped it make windfall profit. We have requested the Lokayukta to recover the money from BPL and provide jobs or further compensation ot farmers,” Kempanna said.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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