Karnataka MUDA scam: What is it and who's involved
Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot has approved the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The approval for prosecution followed petitions by three activists: Pradeep Kumar, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna. The controversy centers around the allegation that Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi was granted 14 sites in a premium residential layout as compensation for her 3 acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA.
Allegations against CM's wife and MUDA's defense
However, it is alleged that the market value of the land that was allotted to Parvathi in Vijayanagar is much higher than her original land in Kesare. Under the MUDA 50:50 incentive scheme, individuals who lost their land for layout development are either awarded 50% of the sites or an alternate site. But allegations surfaced that this scheme was exploited by middlemen and MUDA officials to grant sites to unqualified individuals using falsified documents without board approval.
Opposition parties question MUDA's land acquisition practices
In his complaint, Abraham alleged that the allotment of 14 alternative sites to Parvathi was illegal, resulting in a ₹45 crore loss for the exchequer. Another activist, Snehamayi Krishna, accused the chief minister of using his power to forge documents to claim MUDA land as his family property. According to the complaint, the 3.16 acres of land was later used to obtain 14 plots in the Third and Fourth Stages of Vijayanagar by fabricating documents.
Scheme was initially implemented in 2009
The scheme was initially implemented in 2009; however, it was discontinued by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration in 2020. In spite of this, MUDA allegedly proceeded to implement the scheme without obtaining authorization from the then government. The distribution of plots continued despite two government orders this year urging MUDA to cancel the allotment of sites to beneficiaries under the 50:50 scheme until clear instructions were established. However, the allotment continued.
Siddaramiah's response to allegations
Siddaramaiah had termed the charges against him "politically motivated." He stated that Mallikarjuna, his wife's brother, gifted the land for which she received compensation in 1998. However, activist Krishna said that Mallikarjuna obtained it unlawfully in 2004 and registered it using falsified paperwork with the cooperation of government and revenue officials. Parvathi sought compensation for this land in 2014, while Siddaramaiah was chief minister.
