MUDA chief, MLAs defend CM Siddaramaiah in alternative land allotment case

MLA Harish Gowda said that CM Siddaramaiah did not misuse his power to facilitate sanction of land for his wife.

Mysuru: Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Chairman K Marigowda and a couple of MLAs and an MLC convened a media conference on Monday in Mysuru, to clarify that neither CM Siddaramaiah, nor his wife Parvathi, are indulged in any irregularity or illegal activity, in connection with the allocation of alternative land.

Addressing the media conference, Marigowda said that Siddaramaiah has neither misused his power or influence to get alternative land for his wife. MLAs K Harish Gowda, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda and MLC D Thimmaiah joined Marigowda in defending the CM.

Repeated appeals

MLA Harish Gowda said, Parvathi has been repeatedly appealing to the MUDA, since 2014, for allotment of alternative land, since she learnt that her land had been developed by MUDA without bringing it to her notice. “The three acres and 14 guntas of land, on Survey No 414 of Kesare village, in Mysuru was gifted to Parvathi by her brother Mallikarjun. He had bought the land from one Javara and Ninga. Although Javara and Ninga belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) communities, the land was not a government grant to them. They had bought the land in an auction. Thus, it can be sold to anybody,” he said.

Harish Gowda was reacting to the allegations of MLC A H Vishwanath that the land belonged to SCs and it was illegal for Parvathi to own it.

AHV’s wife benefited

Marigowda said, Vishwanth is a senior politician and should refrain from abusing others and blackmailing them. “Vishwanath’s wife Shanthamma is also a beneficiary of MUDA. In 2017, she got a prime residential site, in exchange for a site allotted on an interior road in Devanuru 3rd Stage,” he said.

However, to a question on who the other influential politicians are, who have illegally benefited from MUDA, Marigowda said that an inquiry is under way into the irregularities, if any. “The list will be released, if any such beneficiaries are there,” he added.

CM not misused power

Harish Gowda said, in 2014, when Parvathi applied for an alternative land, Siddaramaiah was the CM. “Siddaramaiah did not misuse his power, to facilitate sanction of land to her. Again, in 2017, Parvathi applied to follow-up her 2014 appeal. Then also, Siddaramaiah was the CM. But, he did not misuse his power. She applied again in 2020 and she was allotted alternative land in Vijayanagar. In fact, based on a similar case of one Sundramma of Srirampura, who got back her land on the basis of a High Court verdict, Parvathi had sought back her land. However, as her land was already developed into a layout and no land was available in Kesare then, she was given 38,000 sq feet of land in Vijayanagar,” he said.

“In Kesare, Parvathi parted with 1.5 lakh sq feet of land and thus she was eligible for 75,000 sq feet of land, as per the 50:50 sharing formula, adopted by MUDA in 2020, applicable to older land acquisitions also, to benefit farmers. However, Parvathi was given just 38,000 sq feet of land,” Harish Gowda said.

Adequate compensation

“However, as 38,000 sq feet of developed sites, 14 in number, was given to Parvathi, it may be equal to 75,000 sq feet of undeveloped land. As the developed land comprises public spaces like roads, drainages, parks and civic amenity sites, the extent of the residential sites come down, on a particular developed land. Thus, it looks like she is adequately compensated,” said an urban planning expert, on condition of anonymity.