Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot Demands Report on Alleged MUDA Scam Involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 19: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has written to the state’s Chief Secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, regarding the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. He has demanded a detailed report along with documents as soon as possible.
The letter mentioned that P.S. Nataraj from Mysuru submitted a detailed representation on August 27. Nataraj informed that the MUDA undertook works worth Rs. 387 crores in violation of sections 15 and 25 of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987, based on the oral instruction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his constituency, Varuna, and in Srirangapattana constituency.
“The petitioner has also informed that, despite the non-availability of funds in the authority, a decision was taken on the oral instruction of the Chief Minister. Further, he alleged that by doing this, the authority has misused its power and requested an inquiry from the 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 stated.
On August 31, the office of the Karnataka Governor informed the state’s high court that the sanction granted to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam was done after “application of mind.” When asked about the status of the investigation, the Governor’s office said that all agencies have different mandates and submit their reports to the court after the investigation.
In August, amid the controversy over Governor Gehlot granting permission for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state ministers and legislators conducted a ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo’ protest. The Congress has accused the Governor of discriminatory behavior, alleging that several other cases are also pending before the Governor, but no decisions have been made on them.
Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioned prosecution against Siddaramaiah in a case of alleged corruption in the allotment of land to his wife by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka Governor -: The Governor is like the head of a state in India. Thaawarchand Gehlot is the current Governor of Karnataka, a state in India.
Thaawarchand Gehlot -: Thaawarchand Gehlot is a politician who is currently serving as the Governor of Karnataka.
MUDA -: MUDA stands for Mysuru Urban Development Authority. It is an organization that looks after the development and planning of the city of Mysuru.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -: Siddaramaiah is a politician who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka. The Chief Minister is like the head of the government in a state.
Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh -: Shalini Rajneesh is a high-ranking official in the government of Karnataka. The Chief Secretary is the top administrative officer in a state.
P.S. Nataraj -: P.S. Nataraj is a person who made a complaint about the alleged scam. He claimed that a lot of money was spent wrongly.
Rs. 387 crores -: Rs. 387 crores is a large amount of money. In Indian currency, a crore is equal to 10 million, so 387 crores is 3.87 billion rupees.
Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act, 1987 -: This is a law that guides how urban development should happen in Karnataka. It was made in 1987.
Sanctioned prosecution -: This means that the Governor has given permission for legal action to be taken against Siddaramaiah.
Protests by state ministers and legislators -: State ministers and legislators are people who make laws and decisions for the state. They are protesting because they are unhappy with the Governor’s decision.
