Muda dispute: RTI activists challenge Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s takeover claim

MYSURU: In a fresh controversy over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) land scam, it has come to light that land in Kesare, Mysuru, was acquired by Muda in 1998 from one Jawara, contrary to the claims of chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Muda acquired land for a development project. The whereabouts of Javara, a member of the Scheduled Caste community, are unknown, although the address on the documents indicates Bengaluru.

On Thursday, Siddaramaiah alleged that his ancestral property in Kesare, spread over three acres and 16 guntas, was “illegally” acquired by Muda, which resulted in him being given 14 alternative sites as compensation in an exclusive location. He also said he would return the land if Muda paid him its current market value of Rs 62 crore.

However, property documents accessed by RTI activists suggest that Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna bought the land only in 2004 — after it had been withdrawn. TOI could not independently verify the authenticity of these documents. However, RTI activists also claim that the Muda authorities failed to register the land as per the notification with the registry.

Siddaramaiah was then deputy chief minister in the JD(S) Congress government.

“We are still trying to trace Jawara to check whether he received notice when the land was acquired and notified in 1997-98 and whether he voluntarily sold his land to Mallikarjun after the latter was notified,” said Gangaraju, an RTI activist.

He added, “Mallikarjuna obtained the sale deed in his favour in 2004 and then gifted it to his sister Parvathi in 2010. It was only in 2014 that Parvathi claimed compensation for the land that Muda had acquired and developed.”

The matter came to light following a complaint filed by PS Nataraja, a retired Muda employee, who in August last year urged the district deputy commissioner KV Rajendra to seek an explanation and necessary action from the urban development department. Incidentally, Rajendra was transferred on Friday.

RTI activists claim that Muda acquired a total of 130 acres of land in northeastern Mysuru to create Hanchya-Sathgalli Zone A and B and Devanur Stage III layouts. This land included a plot belonging to Sid-daramaiah’s wife Parvathi. The civic body developed a total of 8,486 sites in these layouts and allotted them in 2001-02. It is not clear how much of the 130 acres of land was used to develop these sites and how much of the unused land was withdrawn.

Meanwhile, social worker Snehamayi Krishna has filed a complaint with the Vijayanagara police, alleging that Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna and others created fake documents to illegally acquire land from the SC member. However, the police have not registered a case as it is being investigated by a special team headed by IAS officers.