MYSURU: Reiterating her intention to continue the legal fight to reclaim properties of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar on Saturday asked the government to provide the documents.
Pramoda Devi, interacting with the media at the Mysore Palace, touched on the property at Kurbarahalli at the foot of Chamundi Hills.
The prime property was fenced on Thursday, and a notice erected announcing the family’s ownership of the land. While the high court ruled that the prime property, worth crores of rupees, belonged to the erstwhile Mysuru royal family, the state government has now moved the Supreme Court questioning the order.
Pramoda Devi pointed out that the high court’s order gave the family rights to either claim ownership of the properties in Kurubarahalli, Alanahalli and Chodanahalli, or to sell them. “We erected a fence around the Kurubarahalli property only when there were attempts made to encroach the land. We consulted legal experts before fencing the property,” she added.
Citing the 1952 agreement, Pramoda Devi said that the 150 acres at the foot of Chamundi Hills was the property of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family. “The government must direct the revenue department to survey the land near Lalitha Mahal Palace, and demarcate the boundary of our property. The revenue department should provide a khatha confirming our ownership in accordance with the directions of the court,” said Pramoda Devi, adding that they would in no way try to disrupt vehicular movement near the helipad.
Pramoda Devi called on the Supreme Court to set up a constitutional bench to look into the ownership claims of the palace. “Successive governments have troubles us over this dispute. In 1972, a central government officer decreed that all the palaces belonged to the royal family. But the government did not follow up on these directions,” she rued.