Justice P.N. Desai Judicial Commission unearths illegality in 50:50 site allotments

Mysuru: The Judicial Commission headed by retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice P.N. Desai, constituted in July 2024 to probe allegations of corruption and maladministration in MUDA, found large-scale irregularities in the Authority’s functioning between 2020 and 2024.

The Commission recommended cancellation of irregular 50:50 site allotments, particularly those made after the Government’s March 14, 2023 directive against such allotments, as well as action against officials and others found to have colluded in the alleged irregularities.

The Commission found that the alternative site scheme had significant loopholes and that a surge in claims between 2020 and 2024 appeared to have enabled beneficiaries to seek high-value sites with the alleged help of MUDA officials.

“It is common experience that it will be very difficult for a common man to get even a single site allotted through such public authorities. But there are cases wherein sites numbering 30 to 40 were allotted illegally to a single person who has no right to compensation,” the Justice P.N. Desai Commission said.

The Commission recommended restoring illegally allotted sites to MUDA through appropriate legal proceedings and called for clearer rules, stronger oversight and greater use of technology to prevent manipulation of the land  allotment process.

The Commission was constituted amid allegations involving former CM Siddaramaiah’s family over 14 sites allotted as compensation for 3.16 acres of land acquired by MUDA. It found no wrongdoing in that allotment.