Complaint against Karnataka Minister filed with Guv seeking consent for prosecution in MUDA scam

Bengaluru, Aug 23 (IANS) In a setback to the Congress government in Karnataka, a complaint has been lodged on Friday against the State Minister for Medium and Heavy Industries, M.B. Patil, with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking consent for prosecution against him in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam.

RTI activist Dinesh Kallahalli has filed a complaint in this regard at the Raj Bhavan.

Minister M.B. Patil is a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah and the move is seen as a setback to CM Siddaramaiah's loyalists, who are trying hard to defend him, following the Governor sanctioning probe against him in the MUDA land scam.

The complaint has been lodged at a crucial time when CM Siddaramaiah is summoned by the Congress high command to seek clarifications regarding the situation in the state in the backdrop of the BJP announcing a protest until the Chief Minister resigns.

The complaint alleges that Minister Patil has illegally allocated Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) land.

According to the rules, the process was supposed to be conducted online, but Minister Patil allocated land to companies that were not operating industries.

Illegalities have been committed in the allocation of plots in industrial areas such as Bidadi, Vasanthanarasapura, Kolar Narasapura, and Doddaballapur, located close to Bengaluru city.

The plots were allocated in violation of the rules, disregarding legal procedures.

Some officials have supported the Karnataka Minister's actions.

It is alleged in the complaint that this illegal allocation had caused KIADB to incur losses worth crores of rupees.

The seven-page complaint details the list of about 39 companies to which the civic amenity (CA) sites were allocated in those regions which are most sought after. No transparency is maintained and maps were tampered with to allot CA sites, the complaint alleges.

"It is necessary to conduct a comprehensive and high-level investigation. Minister M.B. Patil has misused his power to the benefit of private persons for personal gains. He has committed criminal offences under the various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS). Hence, it is requested to give consent under Sections 17 and 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 218 of BNS," the complainant said.

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