Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday gave approval to prosecute state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, according to PTI sources.
The Alleged MUDA Land Scam:
The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), established in May 1988, is a state agency in Karnataka responsible for promoting urban development, providing infrastructure, and offering affordable housing.
MUDA introduced the 50:50 scheme in 2009 for those who lost land during urban development, entitling them to 50% of the developed land. Though the scheme was discontinued by the BJP government in 2020, MUDA continued land acquisition and allocation. It has been alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, benefited from this scheme.
MUDA claimed to have acquired 3 acres and 16 guntas of Parvathi's land and allocated 14 prime plots in exchange. The land, located in Kesare, was gifted to Parvathi by her brother in 2010, and MUDA allegedly developed a project without acquiring it. Parvathi applied for compensation, leading MUDA to allocate 14 sites in Vijayanagar III and IV Phases, totaling 38,284 square feet. The opposition alleges irregularities in this allocation, with the market value of these sites being much higher than the original land.
A special court is currently hearing two complaints against Siddaramaiah, his wife, and others regarding these allocations. The court is reviewing the admissibility of private complaints filed by activists TJ Abraham and Krishna. On August 13, the court postponed Krishna's case to August 20, and Abraham's petition will be heard on August 21.
State Government’s Response:
In July, the state government formed a one-member judicial commission led by former Karnataka High Court judge P.N. Desai to investigate the alleged irregularities. The commission has six months to complete its inquiry and submit a report.
