Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticised BJP and JD(S) for making unfounded allegations regarding the MUDA scam.

At a press conference held at Vidhana Soudha this morning, Siddaramaiah presented MUDA records to support his defence. He asserted that the Opposition’s efforts to discredit him are misguided and aimed at tarnishing his reputation. Siddaramaiah flayed the BJP-JD(S) for repeatedly attempting to introduce adjournment motions to discuss scams in the Valmiki Development Corporation and MUDA during the Monsoon Session.

Clarification on Ninga
Addressing specific allegations in land allotment to his wife B.M. Parvathi, Siddaramaiah explained, “One Ninga, applied to Mysuru Taluk Office seeking allotment of 3 acres and 16 guntas of land coming under Kesare Sy. No. 464, on August 2, 1935. After due process, the then authorities, auctioned the land on Oct. 3, 1935, when Ninga was the highest bidder and bought the land by remitting the auction price at the District Treasury.”

“Subsequently, authorities confirmed the sale on Oct. 13, 1935. Since land was acquired through auction, it becomes freehold land and the Government does not have any interest in this land. So, the land does not come under PTCL (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act concerning SC/STs,” he said, adding that the Act is clear about this and there are also countless judgments in this regard.

Exclusion of heirs
On questions on why the heirs were excluded from purchase of these lands, the CM said, a family tree was made on Apr. 10, 1993, according to which Ninga has three children — Mallaiah, Mylaraiah and J. Devaraju.“This family tree is signed by Mallaiah, Devaraju, Mallaiah’s wife Puttagouramma and heir M. Manjunathaswamy. All the family members have signed and given a declaration to account for the land in the name of J. Devaraju. The family members also gave a written statement saying there is no dispute between them in the land. While Mallaiah and Puttagouramma have signed the statement in Kannada, Mylariah’s heir M. Manjunathaswamy in English. Based on this, the land was transferred in the name of J. Devaraju,” the CM explained Rubbishing BJP and JD(S) allegations, the CM asserted that the records show that the purchase was done with the consent of the heirs of the buyer. “All these transactions took place before 2010 and these are in no way related to me,” he said.

MUDA abandoned land
Continuing, the CM said that the MUDA issued a preliminary notification on Sept. 18, 1992, for the acquisition of this land in Kesare and the final notification for the acquisition was issued in 1997. However, on July 24, 1997, MUDA passed a resolution to abandon this land from land acquisition.

Subsequently, on Aug. 30, 1997, the then MUDA Commissioner recommended to the Secretary to Government to release the said land from acquisition. Based on the recommendation, the then Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department went ahead to de-notify the land and subsequently, a three-member Committee was formed to review and denotify the land.

Committee observation
The Committee noted, “MUDA in its meeting held on July 24, 1997, had resolved to recommend the Government to drop the acquisition proceedings in respect of the said land, as it is situated at one end of the plan of KUWS&DB (Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board), which had proposed to execute Melapura drinking water scheme.”

“However, the KUWS&DB made no plans for the project and also the MUDA had passed no award for the land acquisition as yet in August 1997. In view of the fact that if the land is denotified, the scheme will not get affected and no award has been passed and also as the KUWS&DB had not prepared any major plan in the land, the Committee accepted the MUDA recommendation and recommended for denotification”, the CM said while quoting the 3-member Committee’s report.

When asked whether developed or partially developed land can be sold, the CM said, “There are many judgements and also the action of the Government that the process of land acquisition is not complete unless any land is acquired and land compensation is paid and full possession of that land is taken. However, the said land was abandoned on May 18, 1998. In MUDA, since 1984, 235.30 acres of land have been relinquished from land acquisition and so it can be seen that MUDA possession of this land is not taken when the lands are abandoned.”

50:50 scheme
On how the 50:50 ratio scheme can be implemented without Government permission, the CM shot back saying “By the time this land came to our family on July 15, 2005, the land had already been converted from agricultural purpose to residential purpose.

“Subsequently applications dated June 23, 2014 and Oct. 25, 2021, were filed seeking alternative land in place of land compensation as MUDA had used my wife’s land by               asking her to give her land. My wife had asked for an alternative place for it and subsequently, MUDA has given it. That is all,” he said.