Public office not a consolation prize for defeated politicians, says Karnataka High Court
The court quashed the formation of an additional land regularisation committee in Udupi district after a former MLA recommended himself for the role.
The Karnataka High Court has quashed the formation of an additional committee tasked with reviewing applications for the regularisation of unauthorised government land occupation in the Byndoor Assembly constituency. According to The Hindu, the division bench comprising Justice D.K. Singh and Justice H.
Shanthi Bhushan passed the order after allowing an appeal by the current Byndoor MLA, Gururaj Gantihole.
The court noted that the additional committee was headed by former Congress MLA K. Gopal Poojary, who had written to the then Udupi district in-charge Minister in November 2023. In that letter, Poojary mentioned that more than 33,000 applications were pending in the constituency and suggested names for committee members, including himself for the chairperson position.
The Bench observed that the government constituted the committee on December 4, 2023, acting on instructions following the forwarding of Poojary's letter to the then Revenue Minister. While the Karnataka Land Revenue Act permits such committees, the Bench noted the government merely acted on Poojary's request rather than independently assessing the need for an additional body.
The judges remarked that public office should not be used as a refuge for those who have lost political standing or as a reward for political loyalty. The Bench stated that what could not be achieved through an election appeared to be pursued through an indirect route to obtain authority.
The court also pointed out that the main committee, led by Gantihole, had been assigned only half the number of applications given to the additional committee led by Poojary. The Bench directed the government to create guidelines for appointing committee chairpersons to ensure decisions are based on statutory purposes rather than personal considerations.