Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter THE EXPIRED CM

FIROZ.T.TOTANAWALA   

THE BANGALORE METRO REPORTER 

THE EXPIRED CM 

 The Ex Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. H.D.Kumaraswamy was so hard working that he even sanctioned certain projects after the BJP MLA’ withdrew their support to JD-BJP Coalition Government. 

 THE SMART ALLEGATION-

 H.D Kumara Swamy, made a serious allegation on current Chief Minister B.S. Yedyurappa of receiving Rs. 50 Crores from Udaya Garudachar for awarding the Ejipura housing cum commercial projects to his Maverick Holdings. B.S Yedyurappa unable to digest the allegation entrusted the same to the Lokayukta for a probe. Many Ministers close to B.S Yedyurappa also threatened to file defamation case against H.D Kumaraswamy for having made this serious allegation. Further, to silence H.D Kumaraswamy, BSY exposed some last minute major decisions taken by H.D.K after the BJP withdrew support and entrusted those scams to CBI for a probe. 

THE EXPIRED DECISION- 

 However, neither BJP nor BSY tried to unravel the biggest scam committed by HDK of gifting away more than 90 acres of prime land in Banashankari 3rd Stage, worth more than 1000 Crores, to a fraudulent Housing Society owned by B. Krishna Bhatt. It may be recalled that the BJP Ministers boycotted the cabinet meeting on 3rd Oct 2007 and withdrew the support and HDK passed the bulk allotment orders on 04-10-2007. It is also on the same day that HDK had taken many major decisions like Township projects etc. It is not a secret that HDK is involved and it is also a fact that few BJP Leaders including the area MLA is also neck deep involved. As both HDK and BJP leaders are involved, nobody had tried to raise this scam. 

In fact, A.T Ramaswamy Committee had exposed the frauds committed in the society by a real estate agency run by the society’s owner B.Krishna Bhatt. But, a few months later, HDK counting hours as the CM made bulk allotment of these lands to B.K Bhat and what more, the BDA officials under Governor’s regime honored the orders of HDK. It should also be noted that when the Governor took over the State administration under President’s rule, he reversed many decisions taken by HDK during his last days. But here too, the Governor tacitly approved the bulk allotment. The then BDA commissioner Shankaralinge Gowda, a favourite of H.D Deve Gowda family bend the rules backwards to make bulk allotment of lands to B.K Bhat. The biggest scam is the culmination of B.K Bhat’s decades old saga of fraud. The land in Banashankri 3rd stage (Girinagar) measuring about 90 acres was under litigation between the landlords and the tenants. BK Bhat entered into an agreement with the tenants for sale of the lands for which they had no rights. In the mean while, the BDA acquired the lands and the landlords went up to the Supreme Court against the tenants, that is, their agreement holder BK Bhat. 

 MY SHIP MY COMMAND- 

 As BK Bhat had money, Muscle and political VIP Support, he carelessly went ahead to form the layout and sell the sites to the purchasers, not necessarily members. He started to register the sites on the basis of mere sale agreement and also put a condition in Sale Deed that, he can cancel the registration of the sale deed unilaterally and without intimating the purchasers, for any violation of the other conditions. When L.R Shivarame Gowda, was the BDA Chairman and V. Somanna, the BDA Minister, BK Bhat struck a deal for the bulk allotment of these lands. He collected more than 20 Crores from the purchasers towards payment of bribe to the politicians and BDA officials. He paid a part of this collection towards the “deal”. 

WHAT A PRICE! 

 As a result, L.R Shivarame Gowda forced a resolution on BDA for bulk allotment of about 90 acres of land in favor of BK Bhat owned society, for an astonishing amount of only Rs. 5 lakhs per acre. It should be noted that the BDA’S allotment at that time under bulk allotment was 65 lakhs per acre. Besides, the BDA levied a nominal rate to BK Bhat for gifting 90 acres of land encroached by him. 

GET OUT! 

 The then BDA Commissioner Laxmi Venkatachala refused to accept the resolution and a couple of days later he was removed from the Chairman post of BDA and V. Somanna was also forced to resign as the Minister. Later, when H.D K became the CM, BK Bhat renewed his efforts to get the land allotted. He held a grand function in Girinagar and felicitated a share in land. He had earlier gifted few big sites to family members of HDK and interestingly, even the BJP leaders remained soft on BK Bhat. However, the A.T Ramaswamy Report on BK Bhat’s frauds put a brake on the proposed bulk allotment order. It is now time for the Government to include this fraudulent allotment of 90 acres of prime land to BK Bhat, to the Lokayukta for a probe.