Editorial : When a Judge Himself Commits Crime, When a police himself robs, Murders …

BDA a den of corruption: T B Jayachandra

Author: ‘BDA a Den of Corruption’

• 
  Published Date: Jul 28, 2012 8:48 AM
  
• 
  Last Updated: Jul 28, 2012 8:48 AM
  

Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has become a den of corruption and the government needs to take steps to check large scale irregularities in the authority, said Deputy Leader of Congress in the Assembly T B Jayachandra.

 Speaking on the demands on departments in the Assembly, the Congress leader on Friday urged the government to constitute a House Committee to look into the irregularities.

 “The BDA has unlawfully de-notified hundreds of acres of land to help builders to form private layouts.

 It is a big business involving hundreds of crore of rupees,” he alleged.

 He added that many people whose lands were acquired for developing layouts were made to run from pillar to post to get compensation.

 “Many allottees have to run around seeking alternate site as in many instances after allotting sites to people the BDA de-notifies land,” he said.

 Jayachandra said that during a recent visit to BDA’s Arkavathy layout, he found a big building in the land meant for developing a park.

 “It is a 10-year-old project.

 Now all that has come up there are buildings in the site meant for park and an IAS Officers House Building Cooperative Society.

 BDA has allotted sites in bulk to the society.

 Why is BDA selectively helping officers and not common people?” he questioned.

 Jayachandra said that former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda had assured the House of ordering a probe by Corps of Detectives (CoD).

 “Why the CoD inquiry was not ordered? Is the government trying to protect the corrupt? Everyone knows no work can be done in BDA without paying bribe,” he added.

 According to him, will get `2 lakh crore if it regularises the illegal BDA layouts.

 “Many real estate agents are entering into politics and want to contest elections.

 This is a big lobby and they can spend crores.

 It is a scary trend and we need to stop it,” he added.

 

‘CCTV cameras in BDA are covered with cow dung’

 

The government will cancel alternative land and sites allotted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) in “prestigious extensions” in lieu of private land acquired for the development of Sir. M. Visvesvaraya, Kempe Gowda, Jnanabharathi and Banashankari extensions.

Making an announcement in this regard in the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised to order a probe into alleged violation of norms and irregularities committed by BDA and punish the guilty.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by S.T. Somashekar, K.N. Rajanna and K. Shadakshari of the Congress, Mr. Siddaramaiah admitted that there were illegalities and irregularities in allocation of sites and land for the land acquired in BDA.

The government would order a probe into the scam and action would be initiated against those involved in it. He would direct the senior officials to inquire into the misuse of incentive scheme of allotting land for land losers. Irregularities in revenue land scam would also be probed and all allotments made under this category would be cancelled forthwith, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Detailing the allotment made by BDA since 2008, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that 3,314 sites had been allotted under the categories of alternative sites, incentive schemes, land to land and revenue sites. “The government will not spare anybody who has misused the schemes in connivance with the officials”, he said.

Initiating the debate, Mr. Somashekar alleged that BDA had flouted norms while allotting sites and land for acquisition of land without notification.

“BDA officials used the scheme to their convenience, which are meant for helping the poor farmers and land owners”, he lamented.

Accusing BDA of generously giving sites and land to GPA holders in posh localities, Mr. Rajanna, alleged that the authority had not followed guidelines and officials allotted sites and land at their whims and fancies. “The close circuit cameras installed in BDA are being covered with cow dung to gloss the murky dealings. It is scam worth Rs. 1,000 crore and needs comprehensive investigation”, he said.

Violation of order

Pointing at the violation of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s order, Mr. Rajanna said that, through the Chief Minister issued order against allotting sites and land under the category on July 11, BDA allotted six sites on the same evening and issued possession certificates on July 13. This clearly exhibits the uncanny knack of BDA officials to circumvent the directions of the Chief Minister and shows that BDA was above government, he observed.

 

Reclaim 308 G category sites, says Padmaraj panel

 

BANGALORE: In a big blow to allottees of G category sites, the Justice B Padmaraj Committee recommended to the state government it cancel and reclaim 308 sites allotted under the chief minister's discretionary quota. These sites in prime localities were allotted between 2004 and 2011.

Three beneficiaries, who have already constructed houses, have been asked to cough up twice the current market price of the sites if they want to retain them.

 

The panel has reserved its decision on two sites allotted to former CM DV Sadananda Gowda and BJP MLA DN Jeevaraj as their cases are pending before the Supreme Court.

In all, 313 sites/plots were allotted under G category of BDA rules by previous CMs N Dharam Singh, HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yeddyurappa. The beneficiaries included a present minister, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, political party leaders, bureaucrats, police officers, doctors, journalists and even personal assistants, cooks, drivers and peons of powerful politicians.

In Mysore on Saturday, chief minister Siddaramaiah said he would study the report and take necessary action.

Based on a petition filed in 2010 by advocate Vasudev Murthy, the Karnataka High Court directed the state government to form a committee to look into the matter and submit a report. Accordingly, the government constituted the Justice B Padmaraj Committee. By then, many allottees who bagged these prime sites worth crores of rupees had sold their plots in the open market for 10 times that amount.

Though the panel submitted its report on August 26, 2013, the government has dithered taking action. Though the issue was part of the agenda in cabinet meetings, it was kept aside reportedly under pressure from the beneficiaries.

There are even allegations of beneficiaries influencing chief minister Siddaramaiah to bring an amendment to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Act, 1976 so that they can hold on to their sites.

According to BDA rules, a person who owns a site or a house in Bangalore is not eligible for allotment under the G category. But, the majority of beneficiaries owned a site or house in the city. The committee report has pointed out that persons who gave a false declaration on this count should forfeit their sites.

Some prominent allottees

Visveshwar Anantha Hegde Kageri (BJP)

Murugesh R Nirani (BJP)

MP Renukacharya (BJP)

Prahalad Joshi (BJP)

R Roshan Baig (Cong)

R Ashoka (BJP)

Sharan Prakash Patil (Cong)

Shakuntala Shetty (BJP)

MT Krishnappa (JDS)

M Srinivas (JDS)

G category site

Rule 5 of BDA (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984, lays out various categories under which it can dispose of stray sites. There are seven categories: A (via auction), B (for sportspersons), C (for those who excel in arts, science, literature, education, medicine and public administration), D (for ex-servicemen); F (for dependents of government servants who die in the line of duty) and G (for persons in public life as may be directed by the government). While A, B C, D, E & F category sites are allotted on the recommendation of a BA sub-committee, G category site allotments are the prerogative and discretion of the chief minister.

Who is eligible

* Domiciled in Karnataka for not less than 10 years

 

* Neither allottee nor family should own a site or house in Bangalore metropolitan area

* Allottee or family should not have been allotted a site or house by the BDA, or any other authority within Bangalore metropolitan area. Allottee has to submit affidavit to this effect

 

Read  articles  on  BDA  :

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/keyword/bangalore-development-authority 

 

 

Ex-MUDA chairmen feel heat over site scam

 

Former chairmen of Mandya Urban Development Authority (MUDA) are in a state of panic as the Urban Development Department has sent a proposal to the Home Department seeking  a CBI probe into illegal financial transactions and distribution of sites.

Ten days ago, the Urban Development Department had sent a letter to the Home Department seeking it to hand over the investigation of the irregularities in MUDA and Ramanagaram-Channapatana Urban Development Authority to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Police Department has already submitted the preliminary report to the court.

As money was invested in foreign banks, huge irregularities had taken place in the site allotment.

Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake had provided details of the irregularities to the Home Ministry and requested them to hand over the case to the CBI.

In 1998, the then irrigation minister K N Nagegowda had closed a lake (432 acres, 10 guntas) belonging to the department and handed over 232 acres and 10 guntas to MUDA and 200 acres to the Housing Board for construction of houses for the poor and middle classes.

The then MUDA chairman P M Somashekar took a loan of `5 crore from State Bank of Mysore, Mandya branch, and through a contractor from Andhra Pradesh developed Vivekananda Nagar layout with 2,600 sites in the 232 acres. 

Later, when Asadulla Khan was MUDA chairman, 2,200 sites were distributed through lots.

When Hansiyabanu was MUDA chairman, under the ‘Nimma Aayke’ scheme, 200 sites were distributed.

During the BJP government, MUDA chairman Vidya Nagendra had distributed 107 sites even be fore the final date for the submission of applications.

This illegal distribution of sites was also discussed at the Vidhana Soudha.

Advocate T S Satyananda had lodged a case against three members of the Legislative Assembly and several others in the Mandya Lokayukta Special Court for illegal distribution of sites. The government had directed the authorities to withhold the distribution.

Recently, financial irregularities of Rs 5 crore in MUDA and Rs 16.90 crore by the Ramanagaram-Channapatna Urban Development Authority have come to light.

The local police investigated the case and filed a chargesheet.

The minister said: “We have sent a proposal to hand over the case to the CBI. In a few days, with the CM’s approval, the case will be handed over.”

 

 

Probe panel yet to scratch surface of MUDA ‘irregularities’

 

It’s been a month since a high-level committee was formed to probe allegations of irregularities in land acquired by Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) for Chelyar Layout. It is operational only on paper.

The grandiose plan of MUDA to form a layout and distribute sites to applicants at Chelyar and Madya villages near Surathkal comes at a cost: Rs. 75,000 monthly outgo to service a Rs. 12 crore loan taken for it.

In an order sent by the Urban Development Department, on August 5, a committee was to deliver a report on the legality of the project within 15 days. The committee is headed by Regional Commissioner (Mysore) M.V. Jayanthi, with Deputy Commissioner N. Prakash and Deputy Director of Land Records B.K. Kusumadhara as members.

After allegations that the price paid for the land in 2008 was too high and favourable to private players, Minister for Urban Development Vinay Kumar Sorake promised a probe in June.

The project envisaged buying 200 acres of private land at an agreed rate of Rs. 25,500 a cent. After the approval of the erstwhile BJP-led government, nearly 73 acres of land had been bought.

‘Unscientific project’

While most MUDA officials who talked to The Hindu claimed to have been transferred to the Authority only after site formation, one senior official said: “The entire project was approved by the State government. And so, in this respect, the papers are clean. However, there is a need to ask why the ambitious layout was formed when the Authority was reeling under debt.” Already burdened with a Rs. 4 crore loan, in 2008, MUDA took an additional Rs. 12 crore.

Many officials view the inquiry as a political witch-hunt: aimed at the now-out-of-power party, rather than the Authority itself.

‘Report soon’

With not one meeting called so far, Mr. Kusumadhara said there was little clarity on the scope of inquiry.

However, the Deputy Commissioner said, “We only have to clear the suspicions. We will collect the required documents, and present it before the Regional Commissioner during her visit on September 12.”

 

 

MUDA employees booked for forgery, cheating

 

MYSORE: Mysore Urban Development Authorities (MUDA) have filed a police complaint against one P Nagaraj son of Puttaswamygowda and two employees of MUDA staff who supported the accused in creating fake documents at Lakshmipuram police station.

MUDA commissioner C G Betsurmath said a site in Gokulam III stage was allotted to one M K Ranganayaki in 1973 through auction and she had obtained title deed in 2002. But in the meantime, the accused Nagaraj has created fake documents about the site and made the authorities believe that he had purchased the said land in 1979 in an auction. Later he has taken title deed for it and then sold it to another party.

 

But the crime has come to light after the actual owner approached the authorities only recently. When the documents were verified, MUDA authorities found that site number has been forged from 37 to 73.

The commissioner said the title deed of the said site obtained by Nagaraj has been cancelled and we are investigating on this score.

Krishnaraja subdivision ACP A N Prakashgowd said MUDA has given against three persons and we are investigating it.

 

DLF-Robert Vadra controversy: LAND  SCAM

 

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/bIyiB4vh8SxBgjy54H1BGP/DLFRobert-Vadra-controversy-A-news-roundup.html 

 

LAVASA  LAND  SCAM 

https://sites.google.com/?pli=1  ,

http://www.newsbullet.in/india/34/35975  ,

 

Probe into bogus bill scam will cover larger picture: BMTF

 

Bangalore: Attempting to clear the air on speculations regarding the alleged multi-crore bogus bill scam in three assembly constituencies, Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) inspector general of police RP Sharma said the investigation will not be restricted to Rajarajeshwarinagar, Gandhinagar and Malleswaram constituencies. The probe will also include other areas, he clarified.

Speaking at the BBMP head office on Wednesday, Sharma said even though the FIR filed on November 4 by the additional commissioner (administration) pertains to only three constituencies, sleuths will look into other areas if necessary. "The C(TVCC) had mentioned only three constituencies in its report pertaining to irregularities from 2008 to 2011. The FIR was only an instrument to take up investigation, but it does not restrict us from taking up the investigation in other areas," he said.

 

Town planners' help to be sought

He said even though there is a delay in filing a case, BMTF is trying to clear all hurdles and expose those involved in the scam. The BMTF has seized 153 files pertaining to the irregularities from the three constituencies. Eleven persons and TVCC officials were interrogated and 153 files verified by sleuths in 20 days, Sharma said.

Reacting to a question raised on BMTF's ability to investigate financial crimes and demand to hand over the probe to the Lokayukta, Sharma said the sleuths would seek help from town planners. Currently, there are only two town planners of the 15 sanctioned posts. The investigation team will also include a superintendent of police, deputy superintendent of police (who will join the team shortly), two inspectors, four sub-inspectors and 15 head constables. A fair and impartial investigation would be conducted by the investigation team, he assured.

"We can ascertain the quantum of money that is involved in the scam only after the investigation," Sharma said.

BBMP commissioner Siddaiah entrusted the BMTF to carry out inquiry into the `1,539 crore scam after it was unearthed by the TVCC. The BMTF is an autonomous agency under the state government. It is alleged that bills were sanctioned even though works were not completed in the three assembly constituencies. The irregularities took place during the administrative period when BBMP remained without people's representation. With no corporators, MLAs looked after project works in the wards. The elections to BBMP were held in 2010 after a gap of three years.

Last Friday, leaders of the ruling and opposition parties and civic officials participated in a two-hour meeting called by BBMP mayor R Shardamma to discuss the probe. It was decided to set up a house committee, consisting of five ruling party corporators, two from the opposition and two officials, to investigate the scam, before BMTF took up the case. The move was seen as a delaying tactic by the ruling party in the BBMP council.RK Sharma, IGP, Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force, after a press conference at Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike headquarters on Wednesday.

 

Bangalore: BMTF Registers FIR Against Suresh Kumar, Krishnaiah Setty

 

The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force has registered an FIR against Minister for Urban Development Suresh Kumar, former Housing Minister M Krishnaiah Setty and senior IAS officer V P Baligar for allegedly returning four acres 20 guntas of land, which was acquired by the government under the Karnataka Urban Land Ceiling Act to construct houses for the slum dwellers at Laggere, to the original owner.

The case was lodged based on a complaint by Dinesh Kallalli, a social worker, who stated that Kumar, in his capacity as Urban Development Minister, granted permission to return the land to the original owner, while then Housing Minister Krishnaiah Setty halted the process of constructing houses for the urban poor.

The BMTF has registered a case against the trio under Sections 13 (1) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 157 of the CrPC on Saturday. Kallalli told Deccan Herald that in 1982, the government acquired 4.2 acres of excess land in survey number 19/2, which belonged to K Gopinath to build houses for the financially weaker and downtrodden people. In 2003, the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) started the process of constructing houses.

When the process reached the stage of inviting tenders, the Yeddyurappa government took the decision to return the land to the original owner.

It is learnt that under the Karnataka Urban Land Ceiling Act, no one can hold more than 59 acres of land and the excess land should be confiscated. Gopinath had reportedly possessed 4.2 acres in excess, which the government took it in its custody in 1982. Once the land is in government’s custody, it cannot be returned to its original owner, although the government has the power to allot it to other individuals.

Kallalli alleged that the decision was taken to help Gopinath, who is the brother of senior RSS functionary K Narahari. He claimed that the KSDB had objected to the decision, reminding that it was not only illegal, but would also affect the weaker sections of the society. The board also said that the tender process was almost over.

However, the government set aside the objections of the KSDB and the tender process to construct houses. When contacted, Kumar said he had no information about the case since he was away in Bellary. He said he would find out once he returned to Bangalore.

A few months ago, Kumar had tendered his resignation after it was alleged that his family was the beneficiary of a ‘G’ category site. However, the chief minister refused to accept the resignation as no substance was found in the allegation.

Setty, who was in jail over a land denotification case, is out on bail. Baligar is the Managing Director of Housing Urban Development Company (HUDCO) in New Delhi.

When contacted Dr R P Sharma, Additional Director General of Police, BMTF was not available for comments.

Read  full details  in  the attachment

 

 

 edited , printed , published & owned by NAGARAJA.M.R. @ : LIG-2 / 761 , HUDCO FIRST STAGE , OPP WATER WORKS OFFICE , LAKSHMIKANTANAGAR ,HEBBAL ,MYSORE -570017 INDIA     

  cell : 91 9341820313       

 home page:   

  http://sites.google.com/site/eclarionofdalit/Home ,
http://groups.google.co.in/group/e-clarion-of-dalit  ,
http://e-clarionofdalit.blogspot.com/ ,
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/e-clarionofdalit/ ,    http://paper.li/f-1367938674      ,      

Contact  :  [e-mail]  , [e-mail] ,

http://www.amnesty.org/en/user/naghrw 

A   Member  of  Amnesty  International