Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials raided the office of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) on Friday in connection with a land allotment case in which Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also named. The ED team comprising 12 officials held a meeting with senior MUDA officials including Commissioner AN Raghunandan. The officials are expected to seize the documents related to the allotment of land. They are also expected to quiz MUDA officials to ascertain their roles in the controversial allotment of land.
The case involves land allotment to the Chief Minister’s wife BM Parvathi in Mysuru’s upmarket area in exchange for her 3.16 acres of land acquired by MUDA. She was given land under a 50:50 scheme. However, complaints made to ED say that the compensatory land allotted to her was of higher value compared to the land MUDA acquired from her. The complainants argue that MUDA’s decision has resulted in a loss of revenue for the government. Going forward, Parvathy has returned the land and MUDA has accepted it also.
However, Friday’s ED raid follows MUDA chairperson K Marigowda’s sudden resignation citing health reasons two days ago.
“I have met the minister and submitted my resignation. The Chief Minister instructed me to resign, and following his directions, I did so,” he said.
“There was no pressure on me to resign. My health is genuinely not in good condition, so I am stepping down voluntarily. I have known the Chief Minister for more than 40 years. He appointed me as district president and never asked me to do anything illegal, including anything related to MUDA. I am resigning for personal reasons; I have suffered two strokes and cannot continue,” he added.
The Opposition has called for Siddaramaiah’s resignation after the Karnataka High Court dismissed his petition challenging the Governor’s decision to prosecute him for alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scheme.