Mysuru: The Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of Justice P.N. Desai Commission, which is investigating the MUDA (Mysuru Urban Development Authority) site allotment scam.
At a general meeting held at its office on Vivekananda Road, Yadavagiri on Sunday, the MGP resolved to continue pushing for a CBI investigation into the scam.
Activist Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant in a case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to the CM’s wife B.M. Parvathi, said that the 50:50 site allotment scam was more widespread than initially thought and vowed to continue his fight until legal action is taken against all beneficiaries.
Emphasising the need for collective action, Krishna urged the MGP to pressurise MUDA members into convening a meeting to pass a resolution in favour of a CBI investigation.
Krishna further alleged that the State Government is attempting to cover up the MUDA scam and stressed that his priority is to ensure all those who obtained sites illegally return them to MUDA.
Retired MUDA Officer P.S. Nataraj voiced his concerns about the lack of progress in the Justice P.N. Desai Commission’s investigation. He remarked that despite several weeks since its formation, the Commission has made little headway. He alleged that the scale of the scam involves the illegal allotment of over 4,000 sites, yet the Commission has only sought information on 1,200, raising suspicions about the thoroughness of the probe.
Nataraj further alleged that the land mafia, having encroached land near Ramakrishnanagar Circle, are now attempting to construct houses on the illegally acquired property, while MUDA officials remain passive and fail to intervene.
MGP Founder-President Bhamy V. Shenoy expressed his frustration, stating that the Commission is yet to visit Mysuru to collect crucial documents related to the scam. “The Commission appears to be operating under the influence of the Government, leaving little hope for transparency in the probe,” Shenoy alleged.
Shenoy also pointed out accusations that MUDA officials have unlawfully sold land meant for a park in front of the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) office in Vijayanagar to an influential figure.
MGP Members P. Rakesh, Vishvanath, Prabha Nandish, Nataraj, S. Shobhana, D.V. Dayananda Sagar, K. Bhanu Prashanth, S.K. Dinesh, S.V. Shankar, Usha, K.V. Ramanath, Dr. N. Chandrashekar, R.A. Manjunath, Dr. Vishakanta, Venkatesh, G. Sridhar, Arunkumar, S. Satish, H.T. Ram, Dr. Anjali, G.M. Mahadeva, Yeshwanth Kumar, Srinivas Patel, B. Yathindra Kumar, Mehul Patel and others were present.
Site aspirants can file cases in Consumer Court
Over 80,000 people have submitted applications for MUDA sites, with some waiting for over 25 years. While MUDA board members, well-connected individuals, staff and political heavyweights have successfully secured sites, ordinary applicants are left waiting indefinitely.
Some have even requested refunds of their deposits but are yet to receive them, compounding their frustration. MGP, having failed to secure a CA site, is among those awaiting a refund, with no clarity on how long it will take, said Bhamy Shenoy.
As per the Consumer Protection Act, MUDA applicants are considered consumers and should file complaints with the Mysuru Consumer District Redressal Commission for compensation. These Courts don’t require a lawyer and judgments are issued within 90 days with minimal adjournments, he noted.
However, those who already own sites, are ineligible for compensation. The meeting also raised concerns about the misuse of over 265 CA sites.
MUDA has prepared a report on these sites and the MUDA Commissioner has agreed to provide a copy to MGP to take the fight to the next level.
This post was published on October 15, 2024 6:42 pm