MUDA’s ‘clean-up’ has started with cancellation of 48 site allotments in Dattagalli, claims Congress MLA

Congress MLA representing Chamaraja Assembly constituency Harish Gowda addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

Congress MLA Harish Gowda has claimed that the Urban Development Department’s recent decision to cancel the allotment of 48 sites in Dattagalli is the beginning of the ‘clean-up’ of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) that is mired in controversies.

Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Wednesday, Mr. Gowda said the resolution to allot the 48 sites in Datagalli was passed during an ordinary meeting of MUDA Board held on March 21, 2023, which was the last one during the tenure of the erstwhile BJP government when its appointee was the Chairman.

Allotted ‘illegally’

Claiming that the sites had been allotted “illegally” on land measuring about 27 acres and 34 guntas in Datagalli, which belongs to MUDA, Mr. Gowda said the courts had struck down the claim of members of Chamundeshwari Nagar Sarvodaya Sangha as well as one individual in the regard.

During the first meeting of MUDA Board after the Assembly elections and change of Government on September 6, 2023, Mr. Gowda said the former Commissioner Dinesh Kumar presented the subject again for ratification of the resolution passed during the previous meeting. Though he was also among the Board members, who had signed to ratify the resolution, Mr. Gowda said he realised the “fraud” only after he took home the proceedings of the meeting and read them closely.

Claiming that he immediately brought the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr. Gowda said he and other Congress members subsequently put pressure on the former Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru K.V. Rajendra, who was also the then Chairman of MUDA, to convene a meeting and raised the issue pertaining to “illegal” allotment of sites in Dattagalli.

CM’s intervention

Subsequently, the matter was again brought to the notice of Mr. Siddaramaiah. The Urban Development Department’s recent decision to cancel the allotment of 48 sites was on account of the Mr. Siddaramaiah’s intervention, he said while blaming the allotment to a nexus of politicians and real estate players. “I suspect even the involvement of lawyers on the MUDA panel,” he claimed.

The MUDA will now withdraw all the 48 sites allotted “illegally” in Dattagalli, he said.

With regard to MUDA’s 50:50 scheme, Mr. Gowda expressed confidence that Mr. Siddaramaiah will emerge unscathed from the row. However, he admitted that a large number of sites had been allotted illegally under the scheme.

The Congress Ggvernment headed by Mr. Siddaramaiah will rectify all the ills plaguing MUDA while withdrawing all the sites allotted illegally under the 50:50 scheme. The government will also punish the guilty officials of MUDA, he said.