Revenue documents ready in just one day following CM’s Private Secretary’s application

Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, requested 13 sites in exchange for her 3.16-acre land in Kesare. Yet, Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) officials went beyond the request, handing over 14 prime sites in the upscale Vijayanagar locality. This blatant overreach highlights how officials bend the rules to favour the influential.

When ordinary citizens apply for the registration of their legally acquired properties, khatas, revenue documents and other official records, MUDA officials consistently delay and often take months or even years to process these requests.

In stark contrast, the same officials rapidly expedite the registration of high-value sites worth crores of rupees for influential personalities and politically powerful individuals, issuing revenue documents within a single day for applications submitted by their representatives.

Following a request by Parvathi, wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, pointing out that MUDA utilised 3.16 acres of her land in Survey No. 464 of Kesare village, Mysuru Taluk, for developing Devanur Third Stage without proper acquisition procedures, MUDA sanctioned 14 sites measuring 50×80 ft each in Vijayanagar Third Stage and Fourth Stage at a 50:50 ratio.

In response to this allocation and based on complaints from social activists, the Karnataka Governor has approved prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah has contested this order by appealing to the Karnataka High Court, which has now reserved its judgement.

Close aide signs and applies

On Jan. 14, 2022, S.G. Dinesh Kumar, alias C.T. Kumar, Private Secretary to Siddaramaiah, submitted an application to the MUDA Commissioner. The application sought Khata registration and the issuance of revenue documents for several sites, including Vijayanagar Stage 3 C, D, E, and G Blocks, with site numbers 25, 331, 332, 213, 214, 215, and 05, as well as Stage 4, 2nd Phase sites numbered 5108, 5085, 11189, 10855, 12065 and 12068.

This request followed the registration of Sale Deeds for these sites on Jan. 13, 2022, making it crucial to finalise the Khata registration and provide the necessary revenue documents.

13 sites sought; 14 granted

The MUDA Special Tahsildar, after considering the application submitted by Kumar, set the annual tax for each site at Rs. 2,160, cess at Rs. 562 and Khata fee at Rs. 200, totalling Rs. 2,922.

Although Kumar had requested Khata registration for 13 sites, MUDA officials expedited the registration for 14 sites within six days and issued the revenue documents in a single day.

On Aug. 18, 2014, C.T. Kumar formally signed MUDA records and accepted the ‘notice’ issued by the MUDA Commissioner to Parvathi regarding the allocation of sites. He also signed the office copy for MUDA’s official files.

Parvathi had sought alternative land, as her 3.16 acres of land in Survey No. 464 at Kesare had been excluded from the land acquisition process through Government denotification.

Technical Department unaware!

Although the final notification for the land was issued on Aug. 20, 1997, the Government issued a notification on May 18, 1998, removing the land from the acquisition process. However, since the denotification process was not brought to the attention of MUDA’s Technical Department, the ‘notice’ stated that MUDA had developed the land in its entirety.

“Since MUDA does not have available land to provide parallel sites as requested, MUDA will either determine the market value of your land and provide cash compensation or offer sites developed at a 60:40 ratio in nearby layouts,” stated the ‘notice’ issued by the MUDA Commissioner. In the same notice, the Commissioner also asked Parvathi to immediately provide her clear opinion on this matter.

Records clearly reveal that Kumar, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Private Secretary, and K.C. Umesh, the MUDA First Division Assistant, were actively involved at every stage of the processes concerning Parvathi’s land and site allocations.