Bangalore: State Minister for Social Welfare wants the 50 acres of land allotted to the Sumanahalli Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre near the Beggars’ Colony on Magadi Road, back in the folds of the government.

The land was meant to establish a rehabilitation centre for leprosy patients by the former chief minister late D Devaraj Urs way back in 1977 on a 99 year lease.However, the title deed of the land remains with the government. It may be mentioned here that several are eying this land in a prime locality and is close by the beggars colony.

The minister said the Social Welfare Department will place a proposal before the State Cabinet for taking back the 50 acres of land allotted to the Centre.However, the cabinet was unlikely to give its nod. Already, a portion of the land has been utilized for construction of a flyover-grade separator for linking the busy Tumkur Road  to Mysore Road.

However, the argument of the minister is that the leprosy patients were not many and can be easily rehabilitated elsewhere. At the same time, he asserts that the land would not be given to any private companies under any circumstances.

Officials have been told to get back 123.30 acre of the 161.30 acre land from Bangalore Development Authority.