Mysuru: The State Government has handed over the Lokayukta probe into the alleged scam over acquisition of land for Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) projects in three villages of Yelwal hobli in the taluk, to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Following complaints of massive irregularities by officials and middlemen in the acquisition of 81 acres of land in Gungral Chatra, Kallur Naganahalli and Yelachanahalli villages in Yelwal hobli, the State Government then had ordered a Lokayukta probe into the alleged scam.

The Lokayukta which registered cases against a total of 46 persons in connection with the scam, submitted charge-sheet against them in the Court. But now, the Government has handed over the probe to the ACB.

Details

The KHB, in a bid to form layouts, had proposed to acquire land after paying Rs. 36.50 lakh per acre as compensation to land-loser farmers in Gurgral Chatra, Kallur Naganahalli and Yelachanahalli.

As the land acquisition process got underway, allegations that officials and middlemen entered into Sale Deed with farmers by paying them anywhere between 8 and 18 lakh per acre in 2008-09, after securing GPA for Rs.36.50 lakh per acre. But as the middlemen had to pocket their money only through the bank account of the land-loser farmers, they opened fresh bank accounts for the farmers and withdraw the money by presenting cheques signed by the land-losers.

By this, the middlemen, in connivance with the officials, had minted money by paying just 8 to 18 lakh per acre when the land-loser farmers had to actually get Rs. 36.50 lakh per acre.

The Lokayukta, after conducting a probe, discovered rampant irregularities in the entire land acquisition process and submitted charge-sheet against 46 persons, who included some KHB officials, charging them of favouring the middleman in payment of compensation and thus cheating the farmers.

Those charge-sheeted include the then KHB Mysuru Executive Engineer (EE) M. Sannamallappa, AEEs M.B. Somashekar, B.R. Jagadish and M. Mahesh, alleged middlemen H. Shivashankar Pulse of Bengaluru, Jnaneshwara, Vijaya Kumar, Prakash Mahendrakar, Vishkantegowda, A.S. Nagabhushan, Aaradhya of Vidyaranyapura, Mysuru and residents of different villages in Yelwal hobli namely Chandrashekar, N.B. Manju, N.B. Vasum Shivaram, Y.N. Prakash, Basavaraj, Manju, K.S. Jayashankar, K. Chandra, Dinesh, Cheluvegowda, G.T. Yaduvar, Pradeep, Ramegowda, Rakamkrishnegowda, M. Vishwaradhya, Srinivas, Shivaramegowda, Manjegowda, Kenchegowda, Yajaman Seetaram, Lokesh, Tulasiram, Siddegowda, Ravindra, Govindegowda, Mahendra, Nanjundegowda, Shivaram, Ravi, Javarayi, Vijayakumar, Swamy, G.D. Harish Gowda, Rakamirksha of Srirangapatna and the then Manager of V.V. Mohalla Corportaion Bank Sridharan.

The initial Lokayukta probe had revealed that the compensation fixed without the knowledge of the land-losers and although the KHB had fixed Rs. 36.50 lakh per acre as compensation, the price was not known to the farmers. Also, it was discovered that middleman Shivashankar Pulse and Vijayakumar had registered land in their names after obtaining GPA from the farmers just a day after the then Deputy Commissioner held a meeting in connection with KHB land acquisition.

Upon going thorough the original records, the Lokayukta found that the KHB had spent Rs. 31 crore for acquisition of 81 acres of land at the cost of Rs. 36.50 lakh per acre. But as the acquired land did not come under ‘COMPACT’ terms, the proposed layouts could not be formed. Also, the middlemen are accused of opening bank accounts in Bengaluru and other places and encashing cheques, thus cheating the land owners in connivance with KHB officials. Further, the Lokayukta report said that MLA G.T. Devegowda was in touch with middlemen, who along with officials, had cheated the land-losers by not paying the full compensation released by the Government.

The Lokayukta, in its report, had sought the Housing Department’s permission for prosecuting all those involved in the alleged scam. Now, the case has again come to the limelight with the State Government handing over the probe to ACB, with Assembly polls round the corner.

Government’s decision raises eyebrows

The State Government’s decision to handover the probe into the alleged scam to the ACB with polls just a few months away, has raised eyebrows in political and public circles, as Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda was the KHB Chairman then. It is interesting to note that the State Government ordered ACB probe on Nov.7, on the sameday when the JD(S) organised ‘Kumara Parva’ rally near Yelwal in the limits of Chamundeshwari constituency, from where Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has announced his contest in the 2018 Assembly polls.

Now that G.T. Devegowda of the JD(S) has thrown a challenge to Siddharamaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency, speculations are rife that Chief Minister Siddaharamaiah, in a bid to tie down G.T. Devegowda, has ordered ACB probe, even as the Lokayukta probe is underway.

MLA G.T. Devegowda, as KHB Chairman then, had formed good layouts in his native village Gungral Chatra and surrounding villages.

The sprawling layouts near the KRS backwaters provide a wonderful sight and as such, the price of land in and around these villages soared, with farmers demanding more money for their land from prospective buyers.