State BJP OBC Morcha President Raghu Kautilya urges CM to surrender 14 sites and be a model administrator

Mysore/Mysuru: State BJP OBC Morcha President R. Raghu Kautilya has called for the cancellation of all sites allotted by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) under 50:50 scheme and State Government notification to that effect be issued.

Speaking to reporters at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in Mysuru this morning, he said that since 2020 MUDA has allotted more than 10,000 sites under the 50:50 scheme. “The Government must cancel all these sites through a notification and hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). Any probe by State-appointed bodies will fail to uncover the truth,” he opined.

Raghu Kautilya further demanded the establishment of a Special Court in Mysuru to prosecute those who have illegally benefited from the 50:50 scheme, including the officials involved in the scam and their political patrons.

“The 50:50 ratio scheme at MUDA was introduced on Nov. 20, 2020. However, the State Government has deemed this decision illegal as of Oct. 27, 2023. This also affects the 14 sites acquired by CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, in exchange for her 3.16-acre land at Kesare, as these sites were obtained under the now-illegal 50:50 ratio scheme,” Raghu pointed out.

“The case involving these 14 sites is fundamentally flawed and rules have been breached at every stage. Despite this, Siddaramaiah, a lawyer himself, is not approaching the issue with an open mind or legal perspective. Instead of acknowledging the wrongdoing, he is persistently defending the legality of these 14 sites awarded to his family, thus shielding the larger issue of the ‘dacoity’ of 10,000 sites,” Raghu noted.

“We urge Siddaramaiah to return the 14 sites to MUDA immediately and subject all land deals under the 50:50 scheme to legal review. By taking these decisive actions, he can help prevent such incidents in the future,” he added.

Betraying trust

The MUDA scandal and the theft of 10,000 sites betray Mysuru’s long-time residents — both those in rented homes and those needing more space due to growing families — as well as over one lakh aspirants who have waited 30 years for their sites, he said.  “These sites, meant for the homeless, must be reclaimed. We must mount a strong protest against this unprecedented land theft and fight to recover all illegally distributed sites,” he noted.

BJP City General Secretary Cable Mahesh, OBC Mysuru District President Rajesh and others were present at the press meet.

MUDA Commissioner who made DC powerless

Former Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Dr. K.V. Rajendra, who also chaired MUDA, failed to prevent the land robbery. His orders to stop site allotment under 50:50 ratio were ignored and put in trash by the MUDA Commissioner and officials.

If a Deputy Commissioner couldn’t stop this scam, what could be the reason? It appears Minister of Urban Development Byrathi Suresh is the reason. Despite the Minister arriving in Mysuru with great fanfare in a helicopter and announcing the cancellation of the 50:50 sites, these cancellations have not been implemented, he said.

“What has the investigation committee led by IAS officers accomplished so far? Have they issued any notices to officials? If no wrongdoing occurred, why were only two officials transferred instead of suspending those responsible? Where is the retired Justice P.N. Desai Commission of Inquiry, which was set up to review the issue, currently?” he asked.