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| Pratap Reddy speaking at a meeting in Bellary |
The Hindu: 3 Days Ago (April 15, 2012): The International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON), Bangalore, plans to set up a giant kitchen here under its
Akshaya Patra scheme to prepare midday meals for about three lakh
students in Bellary and neighboring districts. It also plans to
construct Krishna and Venkateshwara temples on 10 acres of land donated
by Congress leader N. Pratap Reddy.
“The proposed
kitchen will be the largest in the country. The plan is to develop the
kitchen in a phased manner. In the first year, facilities will be
created for cooking food for one lakh schoolchildren and it will be
expanded in the next two years to reach the target of three lakh,”
Chanchalapati Das, vice-chairman of the Akshaya Patra Foundation and
vice-president of ISKCON, Bangalore, told mediapersons here on Friday.
Mr. Das said that the estimated cost of the kitchen, comprising building, infrastructure and vehicles, was Rs. 20 crore.
The Hindu: Today (April 19, 2012): A group of people from Bandihatti area here have cried
foul over the donation of 10 acres of land by Congress leader N. Pratap
Reddy to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
recently for setting up a kitchen for preparing midday meals under the
Akshaya Patra scheme, and for the construction of two temples.
Addressing
a joint press conference here on Monday, Riyaz, K.S. Venkobanna, K.
Mohan, A. Hussainappa and K. Papanna, all claiming to be in possession
of some land in the Bandihatti area for over six decades, alleged that
Mr. Reddy had got about 134 acres illegally registered in his name with
fake documents.
“There is a dispute pending in the
court in this regard, even as several other cases are pending against
Mr. Reddy. We have also lodged a complaint with the Karnataka Lokayukta.
Under these circumstances, donating the land is illegal and it amounts
to contempt of court,” Mr. Riyaz said. According to him, the ‘inam' land
in the Bandihatti area was initially in the name of Brahma Shastri, and
later it passed into the hands of the government. Between 1972 and
1982, the government distributed about 1,085 acres among 185 people,
along with pattas. “Since then, the land is in our possession,” he said,
and added that the piece of land said to have been purchased by Mr
Reddy did not have any title.
Meanwhile, Mr. Reddy, on April 13, transferred four out of the proposed 10 acres to ISKCON, and the deed has been registered.
Mr.
Riyaz said that a memorandum would soon be submitted to the Deputy
Commissioner mentioning all the facts of the case, with an appeal to
view the matter seriously and ensure justice to the genuine
land-holders.
When contacted, Mr. Reddy refuted the
charge, stating that he was in possession of clear titles to the land.
“The ISKCON personnel have obtained legal opinion before accepting the
land,” he said.
