Minister dismissed allegations made by BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya and insisted that no rules were violated in the process.
Published Aug 27, 2024 | 10:23 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2024 | 10:23 AM
Mallikarjun Kharge in Karnataka. (X)
A piece of land in Karnataka has turned into a bone of contention between ruling Congress and Opposition BJP. A plot allotted by a government agency to a trust run by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge’s family has the BJP up in arms with allegations of misuse of office and nepotism even as Karnataka government and Kharge’s family counter them.
Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister MB Patil said on Monday, 26 August, that the educational trust run by AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge’s son, Rahul Kharge, was allotted a Civic Amenity (CA) plot at Aerospace park at a prescribed price, in accordance with the norms.
In a statement, the Minister dismissed allegations made by BJP MP Lahar Singh Siroya and insisted that no rules were violated in the process.
Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge, responding to BJP MP’s tweet, claimed that the plot assigned to Rahul Kharge is not an industrial plot, and was not given to the trust at any subsidy rate.
In a post on ‘X’ Siroya raised the issue. He wondered, “When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? Is this about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?”
“It has come to light from a news report backed by documents that a trust (Siddhartha Vihara Trust) run by Mallikaijun Kharge’s family, has been allocated 05 acres of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land (out of the total 45.94 acres) meant for civic amenities, under the SC quota, in the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru,” Siroya said in a statement.
The MP noted that, interestingly, trustees of the trust include Kharge himself, his wife Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga MP Radhakrishna Doddamani, son and minister in the Karnataka Government Priyank Kharge, and another son, Rahul Kharge among others.
“Is this about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?” he asked.
Further questioning as to how did Industries Minister, M B Patil, consented to this allocation in March 2024, Siroya asked, “When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? The matter of this alleged illegal allocation has also reached the Governor’s office through an RTI activist.”
“Will the Kharge family eventually have to give up this land like Siddaramaiah (Chief Minister) will have to give up the controversial MUDA sites in Mysuru? Will this allocation be probed?” he sought to know.
When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? Is this about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?
My statement. 1/6@PMOIndia @AmitShah @JPNadda @BJP4India @BJP4Karnataka @INCIndia @INCKarnataka @RahulGandhi @kharge pic.twitter.com/7lwitXtzuP
— Lahar Singh Siroya (@LaharSingh_MP) August 25, 2024
Responding to Priyank Kharge, the BJP MP noted, on Tuesday, 27 August, that the Karnataka Governor will look into the issue.
The KIADB land allocation case has reached the Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka, who will look into it. I am glad that neither the Kharge family nor the concerned minister have denied the land allocation, instead have defended it. People are wise, they know how to judge this. 5/5
— Lahar Singh Siroya (@LaharSingh_MP) August 27, 2024
In reply, Patil said, “Rahul Kharge is an IIT graduate who has expressed his intention to establish a Research and Development (R&D) Centre on the allotted land. His family has a longstanding involvement in various educational activities.”
Under KIADB norms, CA plots can be used for setting up R&D centres, centres of excellence, technical institutes, skill development centres, government offices, banks, hospitals, hotels, petrol stations, canteens, and residential facilities, the Minister said.
“Any interested and eligible person can apply for it and allotments will be made after recommendations from the State-level Single Window Committee,” Patil explained.
He further clarified that Rahul Kharge has not been allotted an industrial plot at Aerospace Park but a CA plot for establishing an R&D centre at a prescribed price, with no discounts given.
Taking a dig at the opposition parties, he said when the BJP was in power it had allotted 116 acres of land to Chanakya University in an industrial area for a mere ₹50 crore, resulting in a ₹137 crore loss to the state exchequer.
The minister emphasised that since he took office, a more transparent system has been implemented, where CA plots are allotted only after state-level Single Window Committee approval.
“Additionally, for the first time, we have introduced a 24.10 percent reservation for Scheduled Castes in the allotment of CA plots,” Patil noted.
He further noted, “There is NO subsidy or subsidised rates for civic amenity plots allotted to SC/ST organisations. The trustees have a background of establishing and managing good quality and affordable education institutions. BTW, the Chairman of the trust has extensively worked in the prestigious Indian Institute of Science for many years. So, don’t worry about his understanding of science.”
Further claiming that the MP is singling them with mala fide intention, Priyank too questioned about the land allocated to Chanakya Univeristy during the BJP’s rule, “Would like to hear from you on how your Government gave away lands across the state to RSS backed Rashtrothana and Chanakya University? Why was your tongue tied then?”
Little knowledge is dangerous Sri @LaharSingh_MP avare.
Firstly, the site allotted is NOT an industrial plot meant for industrial or commercial purposes. It is for educational purposes.
The intention of the trust is to set up a multi skill development center in the CA site. Is… https://t.co/6xD8nf0mio
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) August 26, 2024
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with PTI inputs)
