MUDA ‘scam’: Cheluvarayaswamy terms 50:50 ratio scheme illegal

Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy has termed the allotment of compensatory sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) under the controversial 50:50 ratio scheme as “illegal”.

Fielding reporters’ queries after inaugurating the Farmers’ Dasara procession in Mysuru on Friday, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy expressed doubts over the existence of provisions for allotment of sites instead of cash compensation to the land loser. However, he said one site is provided as an incentive to the land loser, who has accepted the cash compensation.

Suspecting that several sites allotted by MUDA may be part of the scam, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the Chief Minister has set up a Commission of Inquiry, which will come out with the details, and the sites that allotted unlawfully will be withdrawn.

With Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi, who had also been allotted sites under the 50:50 ratio scheme of the MUDA, voluntarily surrendering the sites, he called upon all the allottees to whom sites had been allotted unlawfully to respectfully return them. Or else, the sites would be taken back after the ongoing inquiry is concluded.

Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy, however, expressed confidence that the inquiry will prove that the procedure adopted to allot sites to Mr, Siddaramaiah’s wife was not wrong.

He also said that Mr. Siddaramaiah will emerge unscathed from the Lokayukta probe that has been ordered as part of alleged conspiracy against the Chief Minister by the BJP and JD(S).

The agriculture Minister also made it clear that the post of Chief Minister in the state was not vacant as the party’s central leadership as well as Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had ruled out any possibility of change of leadership in the State.

There was no need to draw any inferences towards a change of leadership in the State from the recent visit of Minister for Public Works Satish Jharkiholi to New Delhi to meet All India Congress Committee (AICC) President M. Mallikarjun Kharge, he said.

With regard to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) registering a case against Mr. Siddaramaiah and others in the alleged MUDA scam, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the case had no connection with ED.

Alleging misuse of central agencies by the BJP, the Minister said CBI, Income Tax or ED were conducting impartial probes during the regime of Congress at the Centre. But, now 90 per cent of the investigations by the central agencies were against the Opposition, he alleged.

With regard to the probe by Lokayukta police, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the Lokayukta was not appointed by the present Congress government, but by the previous government. However, he said he had faith in Lokayukta, which is an independent body, and the courts.

Published - October 05, 2024 07:54 pm IST