MLC A H Vishwanath
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mysuru: MLC A H Vishwanath on Tuesday claimed that Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam runs into over Rs 10,000 crore and demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged land scam.
The fresh allegation comes even as a four-member committee, comprising R Venkatachalapathy - Commissioner of Town and Rural Planning Department, M C Shashikumar - Additional Director of Town and Country Planning Department, Joint Director Shanthala and Deputy Director Prakash, is looking into the alleged irregularities. However, the political leaders have been putting the alleged scam figures from anywhere between Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore since it came out in public. So far, Vishwanath’s claim has been the biggest of them all.
No favour
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Vishwanath in an apparent effort to counter the allegation of MUDA Chairman K Marigowda that Vishwanth’s wife Shanthamma is also a beneficiary of MUDA, charged Marigowda of trying to protect Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He also criticised Mysuru district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa and MLAs K Harish Gowda and Ramesh Bandisiddegowda for convening press meets to claim no irregularity has been committed in MUDA.
Why probe if all is well?
“While the four-member committee is probing the irregularities in MUDA, the Cabinet Minister and ruling party MLAs claim that no wrong has been done in the urban development authority. It amounts to dictating terms to the probe committee. If no wrong has been done, what is the committee probing?” Vishwanath asked.
“As per the documents of MUDA, the compensation to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi has to be paid as per MUDA Act of 1991. Thus, she is eligible only for two sites on her developed land. My wife had applied for a MUDA site in 2001 and she got a site in Devanuru Third Stage in 2022, after a wait of 21 years. As the site was besides the deep Varuna Canal, not suitable to build a house, we asked for an alternative site. We got an alternative site in the same locality, away from the canal, later. Parvathi’s land was in the neighbouring Kesare village. There are still 800 vacant sites in Devanuru Layout. But, she got 14 sites in the far away, posh, Vijayanagar locality. Is is not undue favour?” Vishwanath asked.
Bogus Ahinda leader
He said, the MUDA Chairman and the MLAs, who accompanied him, are all imports from the JD(S). “They are trying to derail the MUDA scam inquiry. Siddaramaiah’s demand for Rs 62 crore, besides the 38,000 sq feet of developed sites to his wife Parvathi, is absurd. His claim to be a socialist and champion of minorities, backward communities and Dalits (Ahinda) is bogus. Is he aware of the sufferings of the people who lost land, who are forced to make multiple and repeated trips to MUDA office and courts to get their share of land or compensation amount? As denotification of Parvathi’s land was done for earlier owners - Javaraiah and Ningaiah - the alternative lands or compensation should have been paid to them,” Vishwanath said.
He said, Siddaramaiah should use the lands availed by his wife from MUDA for the downtrodden and oppressed and construct a cancer hospital, educational institution or a cultural centre.