BENGALURU: The BDA has issued a show-cause notice to P Vasanth Kumar, Commissioner, Backward Classes Welfare Department, asking him to explain his role in handing over BDA land in posh areas to two individuals in 2015 when he worked as a senior officer there. The BDA alleged that it lost approximately Rs 50 crore because of the transaction.
A source said, “For 33 guntas of land in Madiwala which was handed over for forming BTM Layout, the two landowners were given compensation properties in HBR Layout, HRBR Layout, Koramangala and Banashankari in 2015. As these are prime areas, it cost Rs 15,000 per square feet.”
BDA’s notice follows an inquiry by its Special Task Force. The probe has been conducted since September 2020 on the directions of Commissioner H R Mahadev. The Task Force Superintendent has established the involvement of Kumar, who was Deputy Commissioner of Land Acquisitions (KAS officer then) at BDA in 2015.
A few documents, shared with TNIE by a source, showed that the BDA acquired one acre and 20 guntas of land in Madiwala, of which 33 guntas belonged to Ramaiah Reddy and Gullamma. “The land was acquired after issuing the preliminary as well as final notification to form BTM Layout in 1992. The two were given compensation land. But they were unhappy and approached the civil court for better monetary compensation. The court asked them to approach BDA only for redressal, but they managed to secure a higher compensation,” the documents reveal.
When they approached Kumar, he moved the file to then Commissioner Sham Bhat. “The file bypassed various checks and it was obviously done because of some illegal gratification,” the source said. “As Kumar has now been elevated to the IAS cadre, the matter has to be presented to the Chief Secretary,” the source added.