A day after BMTF chief R.P. Sharma issued a notice to deputy CM R. Ashok for alleged misuse of power in allotting land to Mayor D. Venkatesh Murthy, the Congress demanded the resignation of Mr Ashok for a fair probe into the alleged scam. The opposition party wanted the CBI to inquire into the entire gamut of issues concerning the scam.
Former opposition leader V.S. Ugrappa alleged that Mr Ashok, who was the Uttarahalli MLA in 1999, headed a committee in his constituency on regularisation of bagair hukum (cultivation of agriculture property without permit) land. The committee regularised land occupied by Mr Ashok’s supporters, including another BJP leader M. Srinivas.
“Without citing any reason, the committee regularised 570 acres of land in Kaggalipura and Somanahalli. According to documents, 108 applications were received on a single day, June 14, 1999. Land within 17 km distance of the erstwhile Bangalore City Corporation was not qualified for regularisation as per the provisions of the Land Reforms Act. But the committee regularised huge tracts of land. Also, the applicant should have been a farmer before April 14, 1990, and no farmer is allowed more than two hectares of ‘D’ class land (kharab land). But the committee allotted more land. The beneficiaries include, Mayor Venkatesh Murthy, Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA M. Srinivas, his son Venkatesh and deputy mayor L. Srinivas,” Mr Ugrappa said.