‘Convention Hall land was originally encroached upon but now regularised  by MUDA’

Mysore/Mysuru: The SaRa Convention Hall at Dattagalli, owned by K.R. Nagar MLA S.R. Mahesh is back in the news. RTI activist Gangaraju has alleged that the Hall was built after encroaching the land owned by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). “Now MUDA officials, in a regularisation measure, have helped the MLA by facilitating ‘purchase’ of the encroached land through e-auction by the members of the MLA’s family.

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan here yesterday, Gangaraju said that following allegations of MUDA land encroachment, the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner had ordered a survey of the land on which the SaRa Convention Hall stands.

“But now, MUDA officials have come to the rescue of the MLA by facilitating purchase of the said land only by the family members of the MLA through e-auction and thus get the land regularised. However, this urgent move by the MLA with the involvement of MUDA officials,  has proved that the said land was till now encroached upon by the MLA,” he contended.

Continuing, Gangaraju said that MLA S.R. Mahesh, while replying to the charges that he (Gangaraju) had made on MUDA  land encroachment, had said that he (Mahesh) would retire from politics if the charges were proven true. “What will the MLA say now, now that his family members have purchased the land through e-auction,” Gangaraju questioned and urged for a transparent probe.

Gangaraju also displayed some documents in support of his allegations that the SaRa Convention Hall was indeed built on encroached MUDA land. Farmer leader Hoskote Basavaraju, Swaraj India’s Ugranarasimhegowda, leaders P. Marankaiah and Karunakar were present.