Karnataka: Congress-BJP Clash Over Land Compensation to CM Siddaramaiah's Wife

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress party and main opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party cross swords in Karnataka over land compensated to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru, the home district of Chief Minister. While, Congress party termed the land compensation to CM’s wife done in a right way for sacrificing lands, Bharatiya Janata Party sought cancellation of site allotments citing murkier dealings in MUDA.

Legal advisor to Chief Minister and Congress MLA A.S. Ponnanna on Thursday said Parvathi, wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was given 38, 284 sq feet of land as compensation in lieu of her losing 3.16 acres by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in December 2021 when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in power in Karnataka.

At a press conference in Bengaluru, Ponnanna said “It is a Constitutional right to claim compensation by property losers. The same applies to Parvathi (CM’s wife)” and termed the protests staged by BJP leaders as “politically motivated.”

Explaining how CM’s wife got compensation, the CM’s legal advisor said a decision was made by MUDA to distribute sites in the ratio of 50:50 (State Government and land losers) and layouts have been formed by MUDA in more than 1,000 acres without acquisition.

Continuing, he said, Parvathi was one among some of the land owners who wished to part with their lands and agreed to MUDA’s 50:50 ratio, She made an appeal to MUDA on October 10, 2021 and MUDA took a decision on the requisition on November 25, 2021 while CM’s wife got 38, 284 sq feet of area for sacrificing with her land on December 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA R. Ashok asked the State Government to cancel all site allotments made by MUDA and hand over the case to sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation into the murkier dealings. He wanted by cancellation of allotted sites by MUDA and steps be initiated to distribute sites to 86,000 applicants waiting for sites in Mysuru.

On land compensation to CM’s wife, he said, “It is denotified land and not acquired. MUDA cannot touch a denotified land” and questioned “How can a layout be developed?”

Regarding 50:50 ratio site distribution by MUDA, Ashok said the BJP government cancelled 50:50 ratio of site distribution by Urban Development Authorities considering it a “fraud” and stated that “There is no provision for 50:50 ratio site distribution. 50:50 ratio site distribution a legal scheme.”

Ashok said the 50:50 ratio of site distribution by MUDA had no approval from the Minister for Urban Development nor the State Government had issued order in this regard and sought the arrest of then MUDA Commissioner and Chairman.