Legislators, MPs garner prime sites

Rules thrown to winds in BDA allotment; Chief Minister says he will take action

BDA does not allot sites to an applicant if his/her family members or dependents own a site or a house. The applicant should file an affidavit declaring that he/she did not own a property in the City.

The rule is applicable even to those who get sites under ‘G’ category - under which the Chief Minister allots sites at his discretion. But in actuality, the rule is violated with impunity.

As per Chief Minister Yeddyurappa’s reply in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, as many as 132 persons including 57 MLAs, seven MLCs, five MPs, nine ministers and four former MLAs have been allotted 50x80 ft sites under the ‘G’ category since 2008. The allottees have to purchase the sites.

A random check by Deccan Herald of the affidavits submitted to the Election Commission by some of the MLAs at the time of filing their nominations for the 2008 Assembly elections, revealed that a large number of the G category beneficiaries owned immovable properties in the City.

For example, Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy, mining tycoon from Bellary, in his affidavit before the EC had declared he owned non-agriculture land worth Rs 5.8 crore in KR Puram. The property is in the name of his wife Vanaja. Yet, the CM has allotted him a BDA site measuring 50x80 ft in prime locality, RMV II stage.

In different places

Dr Hemachandra Sagar, Chickpet MLA, owns immovable properties in different places in the State capital. According to his own declaration before the EC, he owned properties worth Rs 12.16 crore in the City. He too has been allotted a site in HSR Sector III.

A Manju, MLA from Arakalagud has two houses each worth Rs one crore in Bangalore. The CM has generously granted him one site in Anjanapura.

Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy owns two sites in AECS Layout, besides non-agriculture land in different places. But that has not come in his way of getting a BDA site in HSR Sector VI. S R Vishwanath of Yelahanka, who has a share in the residential property worth Rs 1.06 crore at Coffee Board Layout, has been allotted a BDA site in RMV Extn, Lottegollahalli.

Minister Aravind Limbavali has been allotted a site in HSR Sector III. As per his affidavit before the EC, his wife owned commercial shops and residential buildings in Thippasandra, KR Puram hobli.

Other allottees

Vidyaprasanna Theertha Swamiji of Kukke Subrahmanya; playback singers K J Yesudas and P B Sirinivas, B Y Raghavendra, MP, Ministers Suresh Kumar, Anand Asnotikar, Goolihatti Shekhar, P M Narendraswamy, KPSC member Dr M Nagaraj, Jayanth Thinekar of Khanapur, film producer Chandulal Jain (who died recently) and Pankaj Chavan, ADC to the Governor are among other allottees.

Replying to a question by JD (S) member Revanna, the CM said the sites have been allotted on the basis of the affidavit filed by the applicants.

When the member asked whether criminal action would be taken if the beneficiaries were found filing false declaration, the CM just said, “We will take action.”