Media Release
Udupi, Dec 15: Even after seven decades of Independence, red tape and babu culture continue to thrive, said Ravindranath Shanbagh, president of the Human Rights Protection Foundation, Udupi, referring to an incident in which a resident of Udyavara approached the foundation after failing to obtain essential land and building documents from the gram panchayat for over four years.
Addressing the media at a press conference held on Monday, December 15 at Vaikunta Baliga College of Law, Ravindranath Shanbagh said that Vasanth Sherigar, an employee in the insurance sector, owns a nine-cent ancestral property under the jurisdiction of the Udyavara gram panchayat. Despite securing land conversion approval from the deputy commissioner and single-layout approval from the Udupi Urban Development Authority (UDA) in July 2021, Vasanth Sherigar was repeatedly denied Form 9/11A, a mandatory document required for house construction.
Although a resolution was passed at the gram panchayat meeting held on July 29, 2021, approving the issuance of the document, the panchayat development officer (PDO) allegedly failed to comply. Instead, the PDO insisted that Vasanth Sherigar donate 10 feet of land for a public road through a gift deed, despite the UDA clearly stating that there was no road proposal passing through the said property.
Further complications arose when the PDO, acting on a complaint filed by an unrelated third party, succeeded in getting the layout approval stalled, forcing Vasanth Sherigar to make repeated rounds of government offices for nearly 18 months. The UDA eventually cleared the matter and withdrew the stay on March 28, 2023.
Based on this order, Vasanth Sherigar received Form 9/11A on May 8, 2023, and subsequently applied for a building permit. However, even after 25 months, the panchayat failed to issue the licence. As per rules, if neither approval nor rejection is issued within 60 days, construction is deemed permitted. Acting on this provision, Vasanth Sherigar proceeded with the construction of his house.
On February 15, 2024, the PDO unilaterally cancelled Form 9/11A without issuing any notice to Vasanth Sherigar or obtaining approval from higher authorities. When he later applied for a door number, he was informed that the document had been cancelled.
After examining 34 documents related to the case, the Human Rights Protection Foundation noted that Vasanth Sherigar had submitted applications 23 times to various authorities. Despite eight clear directions issued by senior officials and favourable orders from appellate authorities, the panchayat officer allegedly failed to comply.
Ravindranath Shanbagh further pointed out that two PDOs handled the case during this period. The first, Ashok Kumar, delayed issuing the document for 135 days before being transferred. The second, H R Ramesh, issued the certificate after 16 months, only to cancel it nine months later.
In an order dated August 22, 2025, the Udupi zilla panchayat chief executive officer Pratheek Bayal observed that the cancellation was carried out without issuing notice, that there was deliberate delay in implementing appellate orders, and that such actions amounted to dereliction of duty causing revenue loss to the panchayat. The order called for disciplinary action against the erring official.
The Human Rights Protection Foundation stated that it would extend full support to Vasanth Sherigar, build public awareness about the injustice, and move the courts to seek accountability against those responsible.
The press conference was attended by Vasanth Sherigar and Roopa Vasanth Sherigar.