Bengaluru, Feb 17 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP has accused the state government of unlawfully acquiring 31 plots and engaging in land grabbing rather than facilitating housing for the underprivileged and providing land to the landless.

The party unveiled alleged documents supporting their claims and insisted on the retrieval of these sites.

During a press briefing at the BJP state office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Tuesday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, made these assertions, stating that the government lacks the authority to allocate sites at the taluk, district, mandal, or panchayat levels for political purposes.

He claimed that in Mudhol, there was an attempt to lease a site for constructing a Congress party office in contravention of regulations, which was ultimately denied by the relevant department.

Furthermore, he alleged that in Chikkaballapur, a civic amenity (CA) site spanning 3,404 square metres, estimated at Rs 4.8 crores, was granted to the Congress party for a mere Rs 20.42 lakh—approximately five percent of its market value. “They allotted it to themselves at a fraction of the actual worth using their own documents and authority,” he asserted.

Narayanaswamy claimed that similar allocations occurred in Tumakuru, Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajanagar, Mangaluru, and Udupi districts.

He further contended that in Badami, a 613-square metre site valued at Rs 24.52 lakh was allegedly given for Rs 1.22 lakh. In Koppal, a site appraised at Rs 1.31 crore was allotted for Rs 6.56 lakh, again at five percent of its value. In Channarayapatna, a site was obtained for Rs 1.36 lakh. Within the limits of the Mandya Urban Development Authority, a site worth Rs 1.45 crore was allocated for Rs 7.28 lakh. In Gauribidanur, a site valued at Rs 90.80 lakh was allegedly acquired for Rs 4.54 lakh.

He stated that these sites were designated as civic amenities for public benefit.

He added that in Manvi, a site worth Rs 37.87 lakh was allocated for Rs 1.89 lakh; in Shahapur, a site valued at Rs 95.71 lakh was granted for Rs 4.78 lakh; and in Lingasugur, a site worth Rs 46.99 lakh was allotted for Rs 2.34 lakh. Within Tumakuru city limits, a site exceeding Rs 1 crore was given for Rs 8.5 lakh. In areas like Hubballi-Dharwad and Basavakalyan, he alleged that no proper valuation was established.

He claimed that officials had indicated there was no allowance to allocate civic amenity sites to the Congress Bhavan Trust. However, the matter was escalated to the Cabinet, which granted special permission for the site allocations.

He insisted that he was referencing documents indicating that, despite officials deeming the allocations illegal, Cabinet approval was still obtained.

Narayanaswamy alleged that the ruling Congress party had acquired five sites from the Revenue Department and 26 sites from municipal and local bodies, totaling 31 sites.

Displaying what he claimed were authentic government documents, he insisted these records were genuine and not fabricated.

He requested that the legal department investigate the situation and urged the government to promptly reclaim all the sites. He warned that failure to comply could lead to legal repercussions. He also recalled that the Chief Minister had previously returned sites in a different case when confronted with legal challenges, and similar outcomes could occur again.

He stated that the BJP had independently purchased land in several locations for office construction and had not appropriated government land. Political parties are entitled to acquire one site, he noted, but accused the Congress of abusing power to secure multiple sites across various taluks and districts. “This constitutes a significant breach of the law,” he claimed, adding that the BJP would initiate a protest against these actions.

He further alleged that 2.84 lakh government positions remain vacant in the state, resulting in injustice to the youth. He characterized the state government as extremely corrupt, deficient in development, and unresponsive to public concerns. BJP state spokesperson Dr. Narendra Rangappa, Mohan Vish, and party leader Vikas Puttur attended the press conference.