A group of citizens from Davangere and other districts has submitted a petition to the Karnataka government demanding that all panchayat-administered areas be brought under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act, 1961.  

The petition argues that the exclusion of areas governed by gram panchayats from the ambit of the Act has created a statutory gap, leading to unregulated growth, corruption, and lack of accountability in rural and semi-urban regions.  

The citizens highlight the plight of agricultural landowners, who are required under the Act to surrender 45 percent of their land free of cost to the government while converting farmland into layouts. Calling this provision unjust, the petition, filed by Manu Mark Imam from Davangere, noted that landowners are not compensated for their loss, even as panchayat-led projects proceed without adhering to the same statutory rules.

Another major concern raised in the petition is the absence of a clear redressal mechanism for housing-related grievances in panchayat areas. The petition mentions that the citizens face issues such as wrongful property entries, unauthorised houses without valid title deeds, fraudulent allotments, and misuse of housing schemes.

Currently, aggrieved citizens must approach multiple authorities, often receiving conflicting decisions. With no single nodal body, no binding timelines, and no dedicated appellate forum, the process remains opaque and burdensome for the public, Mr. Imam pointed in his petition.

To address these gaps, the petition proposes several statutory remedies. It calls for an amendment to the KTCP Act, 1961 to explicitly classify panchayat-administered regions as “Local Planning Areas” with Panchayat Development Officers designated as planning authorities. These officers, the petition argue, should be mandated to prepare Master Plans within two years of notification, ensuring orderly development in rural and semi-urban Karnataka. 

The petition further recommends the creation of a Housing Grievance Redressal Authority with quasi-judicial powers to adjudicate layout fraud, housing scheme irregularities, and illegal documentation. It also seeks to strengthen the powers of the Lokayukta to cancel illegal layouts or order planning corrections in cases of corruption or maladministration. In addition, it urges the government to assign clear statutory responsibilities to Taluk Panchayat Executive Officers and Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officers, holding them accountable for implementing planning laws within their jurisdictions. 

The citizens have requested that the government ensure all Rural Development and Panchayat Raj projects strictly conform to approved Master Plans and zoning regulations, and have called for the establishment of joint planning boards between urban development authorities and panchayat bodies to improve coordination and close the statutory gap.