Trust linked to Kharge family returns Civic Amenities site

Bengaluru: The Siddhartha Vihar Trust linked to the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge's family has returned a 5-acre Civic Amenities (CA) site granted to it in Bengaluru by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) earlier this year, which had led to allegations of nepotism.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Priyank Kharge took to X on Sunday to point out that the trust had written to the KIADB on September 20, seeking the cancellation of the site’s allotment. He added that on Sept 27, the KIADB had written back, informing that the allotment had been cancelled.

Priyank’s announcement comes nearly a fortnight after a similar move by Chief Minister Siddarmaiah’s wife B M Parvathy, who returned 14 sites allotted to her by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) after the Lokayukta began an investigation into the chief minister’s role in the alleged MUDA scam. 

On February 12, 2024, the trust sought the allotment of 5 acres of land within the KIADB Bangalore Zone to establish a Multi-Skill Development Centre, Training Institutes and a Research Centre. It was sanctioned later.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had sought an explanation and a “factual report” from Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh on the alleged CA site-allotment scam.

In the letter, trust chairman Rahul Kharge noted that it was a public, educational, cultural and charitable trust, and not a private or family-run one.

Rahul clarified that a site within the KIADB industrial area had been sought to provide invaluable exposure to youngsters, particularly from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds, through proximity to high-growth industries. Our request was exclusively for skill development and educational purposes, he added.

Highlighting the reasons for seeking the cancellation, the letter said: “An educational institution cannot function effectively while facing malafide, baseless and politically motivated allegations. The trust has been founded on high values and a great passion to serve the society. We do not wish to be drawn into controversies that will divert our attention and efforts from our primary objective of empowering the disempowered through education and social service.”