Two MLCs engage in verbal duel over land issue at MUDA meeting

Mysuru:  Two MLCs — Marithibbegowda and Sandesh Nagaraj — entered into a prolonged heated argument over de-notification of land at the General meeting of members of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) held at the MUDA office on JLB Road here yesterday.

When the situation was about to take a turn for the worse, other members intervened and succeeded in pacifying them.

MUDA Chairman H.N. Vijay deferred the meeting to May 20 and said the issue would be taken up for discussion then.

The meeting which had set an agenda of discussing 116 subjects, had finished discussing 52 of them and trouble began when land de-notification issue came up for discussion at the meeting.

MLC Marithibbegowda sought issuance of NoC for forming of Private Layout in 140 acres of land primarily de-notified by the Government, coming under Kasaba hobli, Halalu, Yadahalli, Kergalli, Chikkalli and Yandalli villages of the taluk, when fellow MLC Sandesh Nagaraj raised objection saying that the matter can be discussed at length at MUDA’s next meeting.

Marithibbegowda, opposing Sandesh Nagaraj’s stand, said that the matter be decided at this meeting itself as the Government had de-notified the land for formation of layouts, besides ordering issuance of NoCs to several Housing Co-operative Societies, that have sought NoC.

Irked by Marithibbegowda’s demand, Sandesh Nagaraj said that issuance of NoCs to private Housing Societies would mean that there would be no land left for the Government to acquire lands in the future for formation of layouts and the MUDA will become redundant.

This triggered a war of words between the two MLCs, when other members intervened and pacified them, it is learnt. Sources said that when the de-notification issue came up for discussion, some members  objected to it citing lack of clarity. A Legislator member also questioned the selection of a few Societies which stood to benefit by the de-notification.

MUDA Chairman H.N. Vijay, who chaired his first meeting after taking over office just a couple of days before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls came into effect on Mar 10, ruled that the issue will be taken up at the next meeting and deferred the meeting to May 20.

MUDA Commissioner P.S. Kantharaju and other officials attended the meeting.