MYSURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday brushed aside BJP’s demand for a CBI probe into the 50:50 land allotment scam in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), saying the government has appointed two IAS officers to probe irregularities and submit a report.
Claiming that the state officers are capable of conducting the investigation, he said the government will act tough against those involved in the scam. Siddaramaiah lost his cool when reporters asked him about the MUDA scam. He shot back saying, “How many times to tell you? Did he (district in-charge minister HC Mahadevappa not clarify? You people are asking the same thing again and again.”
He said the government has banned the 50:50 land allotment scheme at MUDA and kept in abeyance the decisions taken by the officials at the Authority. He said BJP is politicising the legal allotment of sites to his wife Parvati.
“We had neither sought sites in Vijayanagar, nor given an application. MUDA, which had illegally acquired the land, admitted its mistake and gave my wife alternative land. If your land is acquired will you not seek compensation,” he asked.
He said a few people are trying to turn it into a controversy and he will reply to them in the House during the upcoming legislature session. Asked about the demand from local people’s representatives, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, to rename Ramanagara as Bengaluru South, he said the cabinet will take a decision.
On Union Minister for Steel and JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy’s warning that his party would restore the old name for the district if it comes to power, Siddaramaiah said it will not happen as JDS will not come back to power.
On the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raiding former minister B Nagendra in the SC/ST corporation fund misuse scam, he said ED is doing its duty.