Karnataka Minister HK Patil said on Thursday that PN Desai, the chairman of the judicial commission probing the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, gave a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family in the case.
Patil was quoted by ANI as saying that the commission’s findings have cleared the CM and his family of any wrongdoing in the MUDA matter.
“PN Desai (chairman of the alleged MUDA scam judicial commission) has given a clean-chit to CM and CM’s family in the MUDA case,” he said.
He reportedly recommended action against the officials and stated that the cabinet meeting had agreed to this, with all matters to be discussed in the next cabinet meeting.
What is MUDA ‘scam’?
The case pertains to the alleged allotment of 14 plots by MUDA to Siddaramaiah’s wife in 2021, which are located in the Vijayanagara area of Mysuru.
In response, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating the allegation that the MUDA had acquired 3.16 acres of land owned by Parvathi in Kesare village.
It was alleged that Siddaramaiah has used his political influence to get compensation of 14 sites in the name of his wife, BM Parvathi, in lieu of three acres 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA.
MUDA originally acquired the land for ₹3,24,700. The compensation in the form of 14 sites at Posh locality is worth Rs. 56 Crore (approx).
‘Local body elections’
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister HK Patil further announced that the state cabinet will recommend to the State Election Commission to conduct local body elections using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
“The [state] cabinet is going to recommend to the [Karnataka] Election Commission to hold the election [local body elections] with ballot paper, not with EVMs,” the minister said.
He added, “We will recommend to the State Election Commission that they update the voters’ list. This is all because the credibility of the voter list is totally eroded, the credibility of the EVMs has come down.”
“Everywhere, these are the complaints, that’s why the cabinet has decided that we should recommend to State Election Commission to make the voters’ list and also to hold election with ballot paper,” he said.