After the transfer of four officials over corruption allegations at the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the Karnataka BJP has accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife of illegally receiving an alternative land allotment from the authority. On Tuesday, the BJP alleged that CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvati, was granted an alternative land allotment by MUDA in an illegal manner.
Based on the reports from The Indian Express, Siddaramaiah refuted these allegations, clarifying that the alternative site was allotted during the tenure of the previous BJP government, which had introduced a “50:50 ratio” scheme for land allotments.
Siddaramaiah explained that MUDA developed layouts on 3 acres and 16 guntas of property near the Mysuru Outer Ring Road, which had been gifted to his wife by her brother, Mallikarjun. This land eventually became MUDA property. In response, MUDA decided to allot an alternative site of equal value to compensate for the lost property. “We lost our land as it became MUDA property. Should we lose our property? In exchange, MUDA decided to allot an alternate site of the same value to us,” he stated.
Corruption allegations District collector Dr. K Rajendra’s persistent efforts
For fifteen times, over the course of a year, Dr. K. V. Rajendra, the District Collector, wrote letters to the Urban Development Department urging the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate corruption allegations. Allegations have surfaced that efforts have been made to suppress these claims, hindering efforts to address ongoing issues in the Public Value Division. It has been alleged that in many cases, property owners have not provided solutions to the residents, instead engaging in interventions. In many cases in MUDA, property owners have not been provided with compensation. Instead, it is alleged that valuable properties in developed areas are being illegally allocated in a 50:50 ratio. Based on these public grievances, the District Collector wrote the first letter to the Commissioner on February 8, 2023, requesting a thorough investigation and a clear report in accordance with the rules. This matter was also brought to the attention of the government secretaries of the Urban Development Department.
Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka has claimed that the alleged irregularities at the MUDA amount to ₹4,000 crore. He directly questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, asking how he would defend the reports that an alternative site was allotted in his wife’s name in violation of the law. Ashoka accused the government of shielding the officials involved by merely transferring them instead of suspending them.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, there are reports that an alternate site has been allotted in violation of the law in your wife’s name too. How do you defend this?” Ashoka said. “Can such a big scam take place in your native district (Mysuru) without coming to your notice and without your involvement?” he added in a post on X.
Defending Siddaramaiah, his deputy, D. K. Shivakumar, dismissed any claims of irregularities. “She got the site because she was eligible under the (50:50) scheme,” he stated.
MUDA had distributed alternative sites to landowners who lost their property after developing layouts in a 50:50 ratio, where 50% of the sites were allocated to those who lost land. However, a government order revealed that multiple sites were distributed to individuals who did not lose land for the development of these sites.
Minister of Urban Development and Town Planning Byrathi Suresh has initiated an investigation into allegations of irregular site allotments by the MUDA over the past two years. According to official sources, over 3,000 alternate sites were allocated in prime areas such as Vijayanagar, Dattagalli, JP Nagar, and RT Nagar, where land values are higher than in the areas where MUDA originally developed layouts.
To probe these allegations, Minister Suresh has formed a panel headed by Commissioner of Urban Authorities R Venkatachalapathy. The panel has been tasked with submitting its report within 15 days. In a recent review meeting, Suresh disclosed that the government had issued two directives to MUDA in the last eight months, instructing them to halt site allotments under the scheme until detailed guidelines were issued by the department. Despite these orders, concerns have been raised about ongoing allotments, prompting the government to launch a formal inquiry into the matter.
Allotment withheld: CM Siddaramaiah addresses allegations and investigations in MUDA plot allotments
CM Siddaramaiah assured that the plots are currently on hold and emphasized that there has been no financial loss to the government. The CM mentioned that those involved in the plot allotment have been transferred, and a senior IAS officer is spearheading the investigation. A final decision will be made based on the investigation report. In response to the BJP’s allegations of power misuse and their demand for a CBI inquiry, Siddaramaiah questioned the necessity of involving the CBI, noting that no cases were handed over to the CBI during the BJP’s tenure.
Addressing further allegations and demands for his resignation, Siddaramaiah highlighted the BJP’s role in creating the law to provide alternative sites for those who had given up land. He asked why he should resign and pointed to opposition leader R. Ashoka’s past accusations, questioning if Ashoka would resign under similar circumstances. Regarding the BJP’s protests about irregularities in the Maharashi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, Siddaramaiah stated that the case has been handed over to the SIT, with the CBI investigating bank-related matters. He also addressed allegations involving Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, emphasizing that action can only be taken after the SIT submits an investigation report and a charge sheet is filed.
The Congress-led Karnataka government is currently facing several allegations, including a financial crisis due to free giving policies, price hikes, and Islamic bias in recent activities held by the government. Regional and communal fights, where Islamists opposed SC community hall construction in Vijayapura. Cases of religious intolerance are increasing, communal clashes are dramatically increased under CM Siddaramaiah’s tenure, and the government’s failure to take necessary action is highly condemnable.
