Karnataka Governor seeks report from govt on works undertaken purportedly on CM's verbal instruction
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has sought a detailed report from the government in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allegedly undertaking works worth Rs 387 crore in violation of rules, purportedly on the verbal instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his Varuna constituency, and Srirangapatna.
Gehlot has written to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh citing detailed representation submitted in this regard, and terming the allegation as "serious in nature."
The letter comes close on the heels of the Governor according sanction on August 16 for investigation against Siddaramaiah under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences as mentioned in the petitions of Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna, in connection with a MUDA site allotment case.
The Governor said in the letter that a person named P S Nataraj from Mysuru has submitted to him a detailed representation dated August 27, wherein, he has informed that the MUDA has undertaken works worth Rs 387 crore in violation of section 15 and 25 of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987 on the Chief Minister's oral instruction in Varuna and also in Srirangapatna constituency."
The petitioner has also informed that in spite of non-availability of funds in the authority, a decision has been taken on the oral instruction, he said, adding, "further, he alleged that by doing this the authority has misused its power and requested to conduct enquiry from CBI."
"Since the allegation is serious in nature, it is directed to look into the matter and submit the detailed report along with documents at the earliest," the Governor added.
The High Court on September 12 completed its hearing on Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the legality of Governor Gehlot's approval for investigation against him in the MUDA site allotment case and reserved its orders.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah moved to the High Court challenging the legality of the Governor's order.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife B M Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. Opposition and some activists have also claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
