Bengaluru, 2 July

The Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Tuesday alleged that Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) has "illegally" allotted an alternative land in a posh area to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi against the ‘acquisition’ of close to four acres owned by her.

The Chief Minister rejected the charge saying that his wife was entitled to an alternative land under the "50:50 ratio" scheme, introduced by the previous BJP government, after the MUDA formed a layout on her land without even acquiring it. Under the scheme, a land loser gets a quarter acre of developed land against the acquisition of one acre of undeveloped land.

Siddaramaiah, who hails from Mysuru. also claimed that an alternative land was given to his wife during the previous BJP government and not during his tenure as the Chief Minister.

In a post on ‘X’, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka sought to know how Siddaramaiah will justify the "illegal transfer of land." He also alleged that when the matter came to light, the concerned officers were transferred, instead of suspending them.

Ashoka said that the Central Bureau of Investigation or a retired high court judge should have probed the matter but the government assigned two IAS officers to investigate it "only to cover up the scam." “Who gave permission for allotment of land under 50:50 ratio? Who recommended allotment of land in posh areas? Who gave permission for the exchange of land in the posh area without cabinet approval?” the BJP leader sought to know.

Siddaramaiah said his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna had purchased three acres and 36 guntas of land in 1996 and gifted it to his sister, who is Siddaramaiah’s wife. (one acre is 40 guntas). It was the BJP government which introduced the 50:50 ratio scheme, he said.

“MUDA did not acquire three acres and 36 guntas of land but created plots and sold them out. It is not that my wife’s property was acquired but plots were made and sold out. I don’t know whether MUDA did it knowingly or unknowingly,” the Chief Minister explained.

He added that after plots were made on his wife's land and sold out by MUDA, she was deprived of her property. “Should we lose our property? Shouldn’t MUDA give us our land legally? When we asked MUDA about it, they said they will give us land as per 50:50 ratio. We agreed to it. Then MUDA gave us equal measurement of sites in different places. What is wrong with that?” Siddaramaiah asked.

Meanwhile, following a report in a vernacular daily about an alleged large-scale scam pertaining to allotment of alternative sites (plots) by MUDA, the Karnataka government ordered an inquiry by a panel headed by Commissioner of Urban Authorities Venkatachalapathy R.

The members in the panel are Additional Director, Town and Country Planning Shashi Kumar M C, Joint Director Town, Country Planning Commissionerate, Shanthala, and Deputy Director, Town and Country Planning, Prakash.

The panel has been asked to submit its report within 15 days, official sources said.