Court Orders Seizure of Executive Engineer’s Office for Delaying Land Compensation

Mandya: In a significant development, the office of the Executive Engineer of the V.C. Nala division was seized by the court for failing to provide land compensation to a farmer in Hebberalu village, Maddur taluk.

Farmer Javarayegowda, whose land was acquired for the V.C. Nala project, was entitled to compensation of Rs 84 lakhs. Despite the court’s order in 2020, the irrigation department officials showed negligence and failed to provide the compensation. As a result, the court issued an order for the seizure of the executive engineer’s office in compliance with the farmer’s complaint.

The farmer had lost 1.17 acres of land near Mutturayanakere in the village for the project. Speaking to the media, Javarayegowda expressed his frustration, saying, “Although the court ordered the compensation in 2020, the officials kept postponing it, claiming ‘today or tomorrow.’ Now, after five years, the office is being seized due to their negligence.”

The court’s order was executed on November 18, and all furniture and equipment were seized from the office. This marks the fourth government office to be seized in Mandya district for failure to fulfill obligations to farmers.

This action underscores the ongoing issues of delays in compensation to farmers and the lack of accountability within the government machinery. The court’s intervention highlights the need for timely action in ensuring the rights of the affected parties are upheld.

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