Members of the principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party began a dharna in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, demanding stern action against the “alternative site scam” in the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar alleged that the BDA has become a “den of corruption”, leading to the authority suffering losses to the tune of Rs. 10,000 crore. Land mafia has colluded with the officials to get “costlier” alternative sites in return for the illegally acquired land to build infrastructure in BDA layouts, he said.
Though Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George stated that such a system of providing alternative sites would be ended and that measures were being taken to withdraw alternative sites, which had been given illegally, the BJP members were not satisfied with the reply.
They trooped into the well of the House and started a dharna demanding “concrete action” and a comprehensive probe.
There was a heated argument between Mr. Shettar and the Chief Minister after the latter pointed out that 1,631 such alternative sites had been given during the BJP regime, while only 373 were provided by the Congress dispensation so far.
When they refused to withdraw their dharna, Deputy Speaker Shivashankar Reddy, who was in the chair, adjourned the House for the day.
Earlier Mr. Shettar demanded suspension of top officials, including the then BDA Commissioner Sham Bhatt.
He alleged that Hanumanthe Gowda, a land developer, had managed to get hundreds of “costlier sites” in H.S.R. Layout and Banashankari Layout in violation of norms in return for lands taken away for development of roads in other layouts located on the outskirts of the city by the BDA.
Mr. Gowda had purchased hundreds of sites in Kengeri by making land owners believe that they would lose their houses and lands as BDA would acquire their properties for infrastructure projects. Mr. Gowda paid Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 3 lakh to “poor” families and purchased the lands. Later, he fabricated documents with the help of the BDA officials to show that the land had been taken over for building roads without a formal acquisition process, he alleged.
In return, Mr. Gowda and other agents got alternative sites in the old layouts of the BDA where the land prices were hundred times higher, he alleged. Mr. Shettar further said that persons who had got costlier alternative sites were not original land owners. They were hoodwinking original land owners to sell their lands to them, he claimed. Instead of granting sites, the BDA should provide compensation to land losers, the BJP leader suggested. Alleging that such a scam was going on with the knowledge of the BDA officials and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr. Shettar demanded suspension of BDA officials involved in the scam.
