Former CITB Chairman D. Madegowda writes an open letter to CM Siddaramaiah

Mysore/Mysuru: The MUDA has already made national headlines due to the site allotment scam. The scam took an explosive turn with allegations that even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife benefited in crores of rupees from these questionable allotments. Yet, no action has been taken to clean up MUDA by the CM or the government.

Reacting to the scam, former City Improvement Trust Board (CITB, now MUDA) Chairman D. Madegowda, popularly known as ‘Mane Madegowda’ for his pivotal role in the ‘Asha Mandira’ housing project when he headed CITB, has spoken out. Madegowda, also an ex-MLC, has written an open letter to CM Siddaramaiah, urging to cleanse the MUDA, stem the rot, take action against the guilty and restore the public trust in the institution.

At the crux of the letter is Madegowda’s suggestion to hand over the MUDA scam investigation to former Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde, who is an upright person and who has a clean and honest image.

“Ask Justice Santosh Hegde to investigate all the land deals of MUDA and let the entire scam be exposed. Take all the land from illegal beneficiaries and distribute them to the much deserving 84,000 site aspirants who have been waiting for MUDA sites for nearly 40 years. The poor and middle-income group people will remember you till their last breath. Make the people remember your work done in your second tenure as CM,” Madegowda stated in his letter.

“I believe it is a honour for the people of Mysuru that you have become the CM twice. After 42 years in politics, I think the time has come for you to express your gratitude to people of Mysuru. I sense that, in your long political career, you may have never felt as much anguish as you have now. This stems from the controversy surrounding the 14 sites your wife received from MUDA, with allegations that this was influenced by your official power,” he wrote.

“Opposition parties organised a Padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, and in response, you held a rally in Mysuru where you exchanged accusations with the Opposition. However, this blame game did nothing to resolve the MUDA issue. Instead, the real beneficiaries were those who arranged the events, the shamiana contractor and the owners of the rented vehicles that brought people to the rallies,” the former CITB Chairman Madegowda said in the letter.

Stem the rot in MUDA

“No matter what your opponents may call you, having observed you for 50 years, I still see you as a ‘socialist.’ I believe you continue to embody the values of a just society that champions the poor. As CM, use the influence your position affords you to cleanse the MUDA and undertake the noble task of preserving and developing it,” he stated.

“Eliminate the rot that has plagued MUDA and implement a set of rules to make it more people-friendly. These rules should not be confined to Mysuru alone but should extend to all city and town development authorities and boards across the State. You have the ability to introduce strict laws against illegal land grabbers and the power to thwart those who seek to benefit unlawfully,” Madegowda noted.

Revolutionary ‘Asha Mandira’ Project

“When I served as the CITB Chairman (1986-1988), over 38,000 sites and houses were allotted to the people under the ‘Asha Mandira’ Project. In 1987-88, I distributed more than 20,000 sites to the poor for just Rs. 1,600 each. The success of the ‘Asha Mandira’ project inspired the then Urban Development Minister M. Chandrashekhar to propose allotting sites to the poor across all urban development bodies in Karnataka, modelled after ‘Asha Mandira.’ You may recall that a conference was held in Shivamogga to discuss this initiative,” he recalled.

“The rules were carefully crafted to ensure that farmers were treated fairly and it was ensured that both farmers and people who bought sites benefitted, and that there was no loss to the farmers who gave up their land or to those who purchased the sites. Unfortunately, with the fall of the Janata Party Government, the revolutionary ‘Asha Mandira’ scheme could not be extended State-wide,” he said.

‘Mane Bhagya’ to people of Mysuru

“In your 42-year-long political career, you have held numerous positions — Minister multiple times, Deputy Chief Minister twice, and Chief Minister twice. You’ve enjoyed immense fortune and have introduced various ‘Bhagyas’ to benefit the people. Now, it’s time to give ‘Mane Bhagya’ to the people of Mysuru. While other ‘Bhagyas’ may be forgotten, ‘Mane Bhagya’ will be remembered for generations. On behalf of the people of Mysuru, I urge you to create a ‘Nirmala MUDA Bhagya’ to clean up and develop Mysuru city,” he appealed CM Siddaramaiah in his letter dated 23.8.2024.

“Create an environment that provides shelter to the poor who have lived in rented houses for decades without owning a home. Strict laws should be enacted to ensure that only deserving beneficiaries receive MUDA sites,” the former CITB Chairman hoped.

Blemish on home-maker

Madegowda further wrote, “I am deeply saddened that your wife, Parvathi’s name has figured in the MUDA scam. It pains me to see the reputation of a woman I have always known as a ‘sadhvimani’ tarnished. I remember your wedding in 1975 at the Yadava Sangha’s Kalyana Mantapa at Marimallappa School in Mysuru, which I attended and blessed you both.”

“Such a ‘satvik’ woman has never appeared with you in any public function as the Chief Minister’s wife, and it deeply pains me to learn that she has been accused of acquiring illegal sites during your tenure as CM. It seems you are unaware of the extent of the corruption and maladministration of MUDA. If you had some concern for your wife, you would have returned those 14 MUDA sites and cleared her name,” he wrote.

“Had you done so, the Governor might not have sanctioned your prosecution in the MUDA case, and you wouldn’t have had to go to the Court. Instead, by defending the MUDA scam, you’ve not only entangled yourself in a legal trap but also dragged your innocent wife, Parvathi, who knows nothing of this, into it. Does this sit well with your conscience?” he asked.

“Even if your wife had been given those 14 sites in 2021 during the BJP’s tenure, as a senior politician and an administrator of a State, didn’t you recognise that it was illegal? If you had publicly condemned the MUDA officials for such malpractices, you would have emerged as a great leader. Only then could MUDA have been rid of all illegalities and cleaned up with proper legal measures,” Madegowda added.