Amid MUDA case row, fresh complaint seeks probe against CM Sidda
The complaint, filed by right to information (RTI) activist Snehamayi Krishna, accused Siddaramaiah of misusing his position as a legislator to influence district officials in land-related decisions
Bengaluru: A social activist on Tuesday filed a complaint with Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot seeking a probe against chief minister Siddaramaiah over his alleged role in irregularities in denotification of land allotted to the poor beneficiaries in Mysuru way back in 2008.
The complaint, filed by right to information (RTI) activist Snehamayi Krishna, accused Siddaramaiah of misusing his position as a legislator to influence district officials in land-related decisions. While Siddaramaiah was yet to respond to the complaint, his office said the chief minister will address a press conference on the matter on Wednesday.
The development comes at a time when the state anxiously awaits the Raj Bhavan’s decision on another petition seeking sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam. Acting on the petition, the governor had on July 26 issued a “show cause notice” to the CM to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days.
The latest complaint alleged that then Congress MLA Siddaramaiah on August 10, 2008 wrote a letter to the district commissioner, requesting the de-notification of a plot of land that was acquired by the government in 1979. Following Siddaramaiah’s letter, the complaint alleged, the district administration swiftly acted to de-notify the land within just 14 months, removing its acquired status.
“The land in question, a 1.39-acre plot bearing survey number 205/2, is situated in Uttanahalli village near Mysuru city. Originally, this land was allocated as Ashraya sites for Below Poverty Line (BPL) beneficiaries. However, due to a lack of infrastructure, the intended beneficiaries did not build homes on the land, creating a loophole that authorities exploited to facilitate fraudulent activities,” read the complaint letter, seen by HT, sent via post.
Besides, cheating the poor beneficiaries, the name and identity of the owner of the land was changed, by creating fake documents, by the officials concerned. “While the land originally belonged to Kundabeeraiah, documents were created, to prove that [one] Marappa was the owner. Then the denotification was done on October 13, 2009,” the complaint reads.
The activist urged the governor to order a formal investigation into the matter and file a case against Siddaramaiah and the involved officials. The complaint also urged the governor to instruct Mysuru district commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy to conduct a thorough inquiry within 15 days and submit a report for further legal proceedings.
When sought a response to the complaint, the chief minister’s officer said, “Chief minister Siddaramaiah will address a press conference on Wednesday at 10.00 am at Mysuru Press Club.”
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, attacked the senior Congress leader over fresh allegations.
“The situation of the chief minister is such that he can’t get out of his house to show his face to the people. He has cancelled all his events today. This means he understands that his condition is bad and even his cabinet colleagues are pretending to support him,” BJP state chief BY Vijayendra said. “We are not aware of what action the governor will take, but we are certain that the chief minister is directly involved in all these scams. He should pay the price for it and offer his resignation.”
This is the second complaint with Governor Gehlot, against the chief minister. Earlier, Bengaluru-based social activist and advocate TJ Abraham had sought the governor’s permission, to prosecute Siddaramaiah, in the alleged MUDA scam. On July 26, the governor had issued a “show cause notice” to Siddaramaiah asking him to reply within a week as to why prosecution sanction should not be granted. On August 1, the state’s council of ministers had “strongly advised” the governor to withdraw his notice and reject the activist’s petition.
People familiar with the matter in the Raj Bhavan indicated that Siddaramaiah may receive another notice from the governor seeking his explanation after the second complaint.