The Karnataka government has initiated the formation of an inquiry commission to investigate the alleged alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Retired High Court judge Justice P. N. Desai will lead the single-member commission, as per the order issued on Sunday.
The commission is tasked with completing the inquiry and submitting its report to the state government within six months. The order mandates that relevant departments and MUDA officials cooperate fully by providing necessary documents and information to Justice Desai.
This decision comes just before the Legislature session scheduled from July 15 to July 26. The scam gained attention following allegations by the BJP that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, was a beneficiary of alternative site allocations.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has firmly denied these allegations, stating that MUDA “illegally” took over four acres of land belonging to his wife and formed a layout without her consent. He explained that MUDA compensated them with alternative plots. However, the BJP has questioned the credibility of this claim, wondering how MUDA could handle such a “high profile” property without consent.
The BJP has estimated the size of the scam to be around ₹3,000 crore and staged a demonstration in Mysuru on Friday to protest the matter.
The commission’s investigation is expected to bring clarity and accountability to the allegations, addressing the concerns raised by the BJP and ensuring transparency in the operations of MUDA.