MUDA ex-chief allotted sites to fake land owners
BENGALURU: When genuine applicants wait for years for a site after applying with urban local bodies, Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) former commissioner GT Dinesh Kumar allotted compensatory sites illegally in bulk, bypassing the allotment section, to whoever applied. He gave away sites without following the due procedure or ascertaining whether they are genuine owners of land or not, or their whereabouts or whether their land was acquired or not, for reasons best known to him. The ongoing Enforcement Directorate probe revealed that 11 sites were allotted to A Papanna, a resident of Hinkal, at Vijayanagar for six pieces of land at Hinkal claimed to have been utilised by MUDA without acquisition. Also, 20 sites were allotted to the same Papanna at Vijayanagar for 3 acres and 5 guntas acquired at Hinkal by MUDA to form a layout in 1984. Neither Chikkamma, Papannas mother, nor Sathyanarayana K, who claimed ownership of the land, could prove their ownership before the local court, though Papanna applied for sites and got allotted 36,753 sq ft (20 sites) from Dinesh Kumar. In another instance, 16 sites were allotted to Jayamma at Vijayanagar as compensation for 4 acres 11 guntas acquired in KG Koppal, though no notification was issued for acquisition. Jayammas name was nowhere in the records to claim ownership. Eleven sites were allotted to K Chandra at Vijayanagar as compensation for 1 acre 37 guntas of land at Kyathamaranahalli, despite lack of ownership documents. 23 sites were allotted to Neelamma at Devanur 3rd Phase for acquiring 2 acres and 5 guntas at Kesare. In both cases, both Chandra and Neelamma were genuine owners of land. These allotments were orchestrated by Raghavendra, an influential person. Dinesh Kumar (46), a KAS officer from 2010, allegedly involved in large-scale illegal allotment of sites and derived gratification, resides at a flat in Hebbal. The only source of his income is salary. He doesnt own any immovable property in his name or in the name of his immediate family members, like his wife and children. When ED confronted him, he was vague and evasive and did not provide any plausible answer. On collecting bribes, Dinesh said he did not remember, but later said it was not true. The allotment of sites was made on serially numbered, bar-coded High Security Bond Papers.
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