BSY govt alleged of selling land near Bengaluru airport at throwaway price; Complaint filed

Bengaluru: A complaint has been filed against former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday, March 28 for allegedly selling land near Bengaluru airport at a throwaway price.

The complaint was filed by social activist KC Rajanna with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Bengaluru. The complaint alleged that the BSY government allotted 116.16 acres of government land to an educational institution at a throwaway price for setting up a private university, which is said to have dented the state exchequer.

The development is considered a setback to BJP strongman Yediyurappa who is putting all his might to accommodate his son BY Vijayendra in the state cabinet. The BJP also needs his unconditional support to win the next general Assembly elections in 2023.

The price of the land located very close to the Bengaluru International Airport and next to the national highway was fixed by the principal Secretary of the previous government at Rs 1.61 crore per acre. The original rate fixed for the land was Rs 186.76 crore. However, 116.16 acres of land has been granted for Rs 50 crore, the complaint said. Yediyurappa, being at the helm had misused his power and caused huge loss to the state exchequer, the complainant Rajanna alleged.

With this allotment, Yediyurappa has caused a loss of at least Rs 136.16 crore to the government, he said. The complaint alleged that the land belonging to Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) in Haralur and Poolanahalli near Devanahalli in the outskirts of Bengaluru had been allotted to a private party flouting all rules, during the tenure of Yediyurappa.

It is alleged that the land had been allotted within 30 days after the proposal was submitted. According to rules, in any case of allotment of more than 25 acres, a submission has to be made to the Department of Commerce and Industries. In this case, no guideline had been followed, the complainant submitted.

Umapathy, the advocate who also filed a complaint stated that the rules of University Grants Commission (UGC) stipulate that 25 acres of land is required for the establishment of a university. “The question is why the submission was made for an allotment of 135 acres of land? Why did Yediyuarappa sanction 116 acres? It is undoubtedly a real estate mafia,” he alleged.

“The private university which has been allotted land at throwaway price does not have any experience in the field. There is collusion among influential persons. The complaint has been lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act with the ACB. The officers have assured that FIR would be lodged after preliminary investigations,” advocate Umapathy said.

(With inputs from IANS)