HUBBALLI: The Hubballi-Dharwad Urban Development Authority (Huda) has launched a survey to identify non-NA (Akram-Sakram) properties that were developed without proper approval. This initiative is intended to protect the ownership rights of residents who have lived on such plots for 20 to 30 years.
Huda officials have discovered that some heirs of original landowners are now demanding extra payments—ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh or more—from residents who bought non-NA plots decades ago. Many residents acquired their properties through bond agreements rather than formal registration, putting them at risk of exploitation. Certain heirs are now claiming ownership of these lands and are threatening eviction by taking legal action. Such cases have emerged in various neighborhoods across Hubballi and Dharwad.
Residents assert they legally purchased these non-NA plots and have built homes there. However, the growing harassment from heirs demanding money or threatening eviction has created significant distress. In response, Huda is acting to protect long-standing residents from intimidation and blackmail.
Huda president Shakir Sanadi informed TOI that multiple complaints have been received from residents facing threats. In response, Huda has mobilized staff to conduct a ground-level survey to evaluate the extent of this issue. Preliminary findings indicate that approximately 500 to 600 acres of land in the Hubballi-Dharwad region were developed and sold under bond agreements in recent years. Sanadi noted that Huda is contemplating legal measures to safeguard the properties of lower and middle-class families residing in these areas for decades.
An initial report from the survey is expected within a week, after which it will be reviewed in a Huda meeting with relevant stakeholders. The authority plans to present its findings and recommendations to the chief minister, deputy commissioner, and other concerned ministers.
“Huda is also planning to advocate for the conversion of all such non-NA land into government land, which would provide legal protection to residents and put an end to the ongoing harassment and extortion by heirs of former owners,” he stated.
