Karnataka Minister Krishna Byre Gowda Accuses Former Chief Ministers of Land Scam
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 20: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has accused former Chief Ministers HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yediyurappa of illegally transferring government land. He claims they denotified 1 acre and 11 guntas of land in Gangenahalli, Bangalore, and registered it in the name of Kumaraswamy’s relative.
Allegations of Misconduct
Speaking at a press conference, Gowda explained that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had acquired the land in 1976 for a layout. However, in 2007, a person named Rajashekarayya, who had no connection to the land, filed an application to denotify it. Despite officials’ opposition, Kumaraswamy and later Yediyurappa pushed for the denotification.
Questionable Actions
Gowda questioned why Kumaraswamy showed interest in the land and why Yediyurappa continued the process despite political differences. He presented evidence showing that senior officials, including then Chief Secretary Jyotiramalingam, opposed the denotification, but Yediyurappa ignored their advice.
Legal Consequences
The land, worth hundreds of crores, was eventually transferred to Kumaraswamy’s relative. Gowda called this a betrayal of the people of Karnataka and a systematic fraud. He mentioned that Lokayukta officials are investigating the matter, and Yediyurappa’s appeal to dismiss the investigation was rejected by the High Court, which also fined him Rs 25,000.
Ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and Santosh Lad were also present at the press conference.
Doubts Revealed
Karnataka -: Karnataka is a state in the southern part of India. Its capital city is Bangalore.
Minister -: A Minister is a person who is in charge of a specific department in the government. They help make important decisions for the state or country.
Krishna Byre Gowda -: Krishna Byre Gowda is a politician in Karnataka. He is the Revenue Minister, which means he looks after land and taxes.
Former Chief Ministers -: Former Chief Ministers are people who used to be the head of the state government. In this case, HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yediyurappa are the former Chief Ministers of Karnataka.
Land Scam -: A land scam is when people illegally take or sell land that does not belong to them. It is a type of fraud.
1 acre and 11 guntas -: An acre is a unit of land measurement. 1 acre is about the size of a football field. A gunta is a smaller unit of land measurement used in India. 11 guntas is a little less than a quarter of an acre.
Gangenahalli -: Gangenahalli is a place in Bangalore, which is the capital city of Karnataka.
Conspiracy -: A conspiracy is a secret plan made by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful.
Senior officials -: Senior officials are high-ranking people in the government who have a lot of experience and authority.
Crores -: A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system. One crore is equal to 10 million.
Lokayukta -: Lokayukta is an anti-corruption organization in India. They investigate complaints against government officials.
High Court -: The High Court is a major court in India that deals with important legal cases. It is one level below the Supreme Court.