Encroachment of govt land by AP residents in Bonal village creates stir

Yadagiri: The government land in Bonal village of Surapur taluk has been encroached upon by influential individuals from Andhra Pradesh, raising concerns and frustrations among local villagers. Despite repeated pleas to authorities to address the issue, no significant action has been taken, leading to doubts and suspicions about the involvement of local officials.

Bonal village is known for its fertile irrigation land, where farmers thrive by cultivating paddy twice a year. The prosperity of the land has led to a high demand, and this has attracted individuals from neighboring Andhra Pradesh. Initially, these outsiders began by purchasing small plots of land from local farmers. Over time, they identified fallow land covered with bushes and fenced it off, which later turned out to be government-owned land. The villagers, upon checking the documents, discovered that over 30 acres of government land had been encroached upon by these Andhra-based influencers. However, despite raising the issue with the authorities, no actions have been taken to address the encroachment.

For several months, the residents of Bonal have been protesting the illegal occupation of Karnataka government land by individuals from Andhra. Despite their efforts, the officials from the revenue department have remained silent, leading to further doubts and concerns among the villagers. They allege that some local influencers have been colluding with outsiders, helping them forge fake documents and facilitating the illegal sale of government land.

Local sources claim that an influential individual in the village has illegally handed over about 30 to 40 acres of government land to people like Srinivas, Venkateswara, Suryanarayanamma, Ramayya, and Marani, all of whom are from Andhra Pradesh. Although the villagers brought this matter to the attention of the Surapur Tehsildar, and a revenue inspector was sent to conduct an inspection confirming the encroachment, no further action has been taken.

The encroached land, once fallow, has now been converted into productive agricultural land by those who have occupied it. This has led to a situation where the once-available government land has been transformed into unmarked private property, making it difficult for authorities to reclaim it.

The lack of available government land has also impacted the village’s development. For instance, a school building was sanctioned by the government, but due to the lack of available land, construction has been stalled. The existing plots have been encroached upon, leaving no space even for small government projects such as Anganwadi centers or local school facilities. Villagers have requested the authorities to clear the encroachments so that essential infrastructure can be built.

Encroachment on government land is not new, but the scale of the issue in Bonal village has raised alarms. The villagers are questioning how such illegal actions can continue unchecked, despite clear evidence and official reports confirming the encroachment. They are urging the officials to take firm action to reclaim the land and restore it for public use.