Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) Karnataka BJP has alleged that the state government has illegally obtained 31 plots and is engaged in land grabbing instead of providing houses to the poor and land to the landless.
The party has also released purported documents in this regard and demanded that all these sites be taken back.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy made the statement in this regard and said the government has no authority to allot sites at the taluk, district, mandal or panchayat level for party purposes.
He alleged that in Mudhol, an attempt was made to obtain a site on lease for constructing a Congress party office in violation of rules, but the department concerned had rejected it.
He further alleged that in Chikkaballapur, a civic amenity (CA) site measuring 3,404 square metres, valued at Rs 4.8 core was allotted to the Congress party for just Rs 20.42 lakh — around five per cent of its value. “With their own pen, their own file and their own authority, they allotted it to themselves at five per cent of the market value,” he alleged.
Narayanaswamy alleged that similar allotments had been made in Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajanagar, Mangaluru and Udupi districts.
He further alleged, in Badami, a 613-square metre site worth Rs 24.52 lakh was allegedly allotted for Rs 1.22 lakh. In Koppal, a site valued at Rs 1.31 crore was allotted for Rs 6.56 lakh, again at five per cent of the value. In Channarayapatna, a site was obtained for Rs 1.36 lakh. In Mandya Urban Development Authority limits, a site worth Rs 1.45 crore was allotted for Rs 7.28 lakh. In Gauribidanur, a site valued at Rs 90.80 lakh was allegedly taken for Rs 4.54 lakh.
He said these were civic amenity sites meant for public purposes.
He further alleged that in Manvi, a site worth Rs 37.87 lakh was allotted for Rs 1.89 lakh; in Shahapur, a site worth Rs 95.71 lakh was allotted for Rs 4.78 lakh; and in Lingasugur, a site valued at Rs 46.99 lakh was allotted for Rs 2.34 lakh. In Tumakuru city municipal limits, a site worth over Rs 1 crore was allotted for Rs 8.5 lakh. In some places such as Hubballi-Dharwad and Basavakalyan, he claimed that no proper valuation was fixed.
He alleged that officials had stated there was no provision to allot civic amenity sites to the Congress Bhavan Trust. However, the matter was placed before the Cabinet and special approval was granted to allot the sites.
He alleged that he was citing documents, claiming that even though officials had termed the allotments illegal, the Cabinet approved them.
Narayanaswamy alleged that the ruling Congress party had obtained five sites from the Revenue Department and 26 sites from municipalities and local bodies, totalling 31 sites.
Displaying what he claimed were government documents, he said these were official records and not fabricated.
He demanded that the legal department examine the matter and that the government immediately take back all the sites. He warned that failure to do so could lead to legal action. He also alleged that the Chief Minister had previously returned sites in another case when facing legal trouble, and warned that similar consequences could arise again.
He said the BJP had purchased land privately in many places to construct its offices and had not taken government land. Political parties are permitted to obtain one site, he said, but accused the Congress of misusing power to acquire multiple sites across taluks and districts. “This is a major violation of the law,” he alleged, adding that the BJP would launch a protest against it.
He also alleged that 2.84 lakh government posts remain vacant in the state, leading to injustice to youth. He described the state government as highly corrupt, development-deficient and unresponsive to public issues. BJP state spokesperson Dr Narendra Rangappa, Mohan Vish and party leader Vikas Puttur were present at the press conference.
–IANS
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