MUDA Khatas to 848 sites in just one day!

• Sites formed by Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society in a 252.10-acre land
• Complaint lodged with State Chief Secretary against violation of Government Order

Mysore/Mysuru: In a fresh twist to the brewing cold war between Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Chairman H.V. Rajeev and Commissioner Dr. D.B. Natesh, a complaint has been lodged with the State Chief Secretary regarding the Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society where a Government Order has been violated in issuing Khatas to 848 house sites that have been formed in 252.10 acres.

Interestingly, the MUDA Khatas have been issued in just one day, raising eyebrows. Also, the file regarding Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society is under the possession of the Chairman for over a month and the Commissioner has sent two notes to the Chairman asking him to return the files.

MUDA sources told Star of Mysore that in one of his notes sent to the Chairman yesterday, the Commissioner has stated that MUDA has received several RTI queries regarding the Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society and the time limit for MUDA to reply to the queries is nearing deadline.

The note stated that it is difficult to justify the delay in replying to the RTI queries and as such, the files and records of the Cooperative Society must be returned to the Commissioner’s section.

Violation of Govt. order

 In the second note sent to the MUDA Chairman by the MUDA Commissioner, he has stated that it has come to his notice that Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society had formed 848 house sites in 252.10-acre land in violation of the Government Order dated 30.6.2020 and Khatas have been allotted to these sites in just one day. The Commissioner has taken objection to the way in which the Khatas have been allotted.

Sources said that the Commissioner’s note said that his certain file noting in Sections 65, 70 and 87 have been misconstrued to exert pressure on MUDA’s technical division to violate Government Orders. In order to examine the file in detail, the files have to be returned to the Commissioner’s section.

In addition, several complaints have been lodged with the MUDA and the public have also petitioned the Chief Secretary. Acting on the complaints, the Chief Secretary, through his office, has ordered MUDA to act as per rules. As such, a report has to be submitted to the Government on the action taken as per the Chief Secretary’s directives, the MUDA Commissioner’s note sent to the MUDA Chairman stated, sources added.

Root cause for cold war

Sources said that there are several loopholes in the layouts constructed by Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society and as such, the Commissioner had refused to clear the release of the house sites while the Chairman is in favour of the Society. If MUDA sources have to be believed, this tug-of-war is the root cause of the cold war between the MUDA Commissioner and the Chairman.

MUDA sources said that the Chairman’s orders are primarily directed to safeguard the interests of Jnanaganga House Building Cooperative Society as it would not have been possible to grant Khatas to 848 house sites in just a day without the knowledge of the Commissioner and the MUDA Secretary. This is the reason why Special Tahsildars have been given the Khata issuing and modification powers, sources added.

Following this stalemate, the State Government might order a high-level probe as the Chief Secretary is already seized of the matter.