MUDA scam: Karnataka govt transfers Mysore DC; Kumaraswamy blames 'power struggle' in Congress

In the midst of a raging controversy over an alleged land scam in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the Karnataka government on Friday (July 5) transferred Mysuru deputy commissioner K V Rajendra.

Meanwhile, at the same time, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy dubbed the alleged MUDA land scam as nothing more than an "outcome" of the ongoing power tussle between the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar.

“It’s an old news. Why has it surfaced now? The MUDA scam is getting lots of publicity now. Who started it? The person who is anxious to become the next Chief Minister and is waiting to unseat Siddaramaiah has done it,” Kumaraswamy told reporters in Mandya without directly naming Shivakumar.

To this charge by Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar hit out at the JD(S) chief telling reporters in Bengaluru: "Some people don't get sleep and their brain don't work without remembering me."

Earlier this week, notably, Siddaramaiah had declared that housing sites allotted by MUDA under the scheme have been put on hold pending an investigation into the alleged irregularities. However, the CM also said he wouldn't resign.

"What role do I have in this case?" he asked.

'Improper' allotment

The news of Rajendra's transfer comes as senior BJP leader R Ashoka alleged that Mysore deputy commissioner Rajendra had written several letters to MUDA stating that the allotment of alternative sites to land losers, in lieu of land acquired from them to form residential layouts under a "50:50 ratio" scheme, was improper.

Now, Rajendra is among the 21 IAS officers who has been transferred by the government in a bureaucratic reshuffle. Posted as the director of tourism in Bengaluru, Rajendra has been replaced by G Lakshmikanth Reddy, who is presently the MD of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), Bengaluru.

Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, had alleged that Rajendra had also sought details about the process adopted to allot alternative sites but MUDA did not bother to respond.

CBI probe

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday had rejected BJP's demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in allotting sites to land losers, including his wife Parvathi, by MUDA. Mysuru is the home district of the Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah stoutly denied any wrongdoing.

The BJP has alleged that alternative sites were also allotted to Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA, and sought his resignation.

MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under the scheme in lieu of over three acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

The MUDA scheme

The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.

The BJP has alleged that irregularities to the tune of ₹4,000 crore had taken place in the distribution of sites to land losers by MUDA.

"Apparently 4,500-5,000 sites were allotted by flouting norms," a BJP leader claimed.

Responding to a question on BJP's demand for a CBI probe Siddaramaiah asked, "Have they (BJP) given any case (to CBI) during their tenure? I have given seven cases (including his earlier tenure as CM). This is not a case that is to be given to CBI...we too had demanded, did they give (any case to CBI for probe)?"

The Chief Minister had said the plots were given to his wife by MUDA in 2021 when BJP was in power.

"They (BJP) are the ones who gave the site, now if they themselves call it illegal, how should one take it? We did not ask for sites to be given in Vijayanagar 3rd or 4th stage (in Mysuru)," Siddaramaiah said.

'Congress conspiracy': BJP

Even as Kumaraswamy questioned why the alleged land scam in MUDA has surfaced now, the Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries, who is also the JD(S) second-in-command, said the "news" got prominence only to bring a "bad name" to the CM so that he can be removed from his post.

“This is a conspiracy within the Congress to unseat the Chief Minister by hiring a team of lawyers and extracting documents from MUDA,” Kumaraswamy alleged. “This is an attempt to trap the Chief Minister,” he reiterated.

The BJP has alleged irregularities in allotment of alternative sites to land losers, including Chief Minister's wife Parvathi, by MUDA.

Reacting to this, Kumaraswamy, a former Chief Minister, sought to know what the ruling Congress has been doing for the past one year after coming to power.

“Why didn’t you take action when a file pertaining to the irregularities in MUDA came before you (Siddaramaiah)? Why were you silent then? What inspired you to take action now?” the Mandya MP asked.

(With inputs from agencies)