Mysuru: The Lokayukta report on the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) land allotment case has flagged the involvement of three former officials — including Congress MP and former IAS officer G Kumar Naik — and a serving surveyor in alleged irregularities in the Kesare land alienation process.
Naik, now Raichur MP, was deputy commissioner of Mysuru when the land was converted from agricultural to non-agricultural use. The report states that he and three other officials — retired tahsildar Malige Shankar, retired revenue inspector Siddappaji, and serving surveyor Shankarappa — failed in their duties, allegedly preparing reports without proper site inspections.
An official familiar with the case said Naik submitted a spot visit report without ever visiting the location. The controversy goes back to 2005 when BM Mallikarjuna Swamy sought alienation of three acres and 16 guntas of land. He later admitted an “oversight” in 2010 when he listed the land as agricultural while gifting it to BM Parvathi, chief minister Siddaramaiah’s wife.
Though the Lokayukta has recommended no action against retired officials, it left the decision to the govt. As for Shankarappa, formal govt sanction is needed for an inquiry since the case is nearly two decades old.
Responding to the report, Naik said, “I don’t know what Lokayukta has said in its report to the court. I haven’t done anything wrong in the case and I am ready to face an inquiry. The land was de-notified before it was acquired by the govt. We went through the acquisition process only after thorough verification.”
However, BJP had demanded his resignation with Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya asking whether Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha LoP, will penalise him. “Can we read his [Naik’s] Lok Sabha ticket as a huge compensation for the favours he delivered to Congress functionaries while in service?” Siroya asked. He raised the possibility of a CBI investigation, saying, “It may still not be late to seek one in light of the Lokayukta report.”