The Karnataka Postal and Telecom Employees Housing Co-operative Society said it owns over 220 acres of land in Devanahalli, Nelamangala and Varthur, which is enough to provide sites to all investors. The society also promised that it would start registering sites, starting December.
The written response follows the July 14 report in DH — 'Karnataka housing cooperative society implicated in Rs 316-crore scam'.
Jayaramaiah, president of the society, told DH that it has already registered 515 sites in a layout developed in Nelamangala. It owns another 50 acres in Nelamangala (Sandesh Nagar-Block 2 and 3); around 100 acres in Devanahalli (Sandesh Lake Side-Block 1, 2 and 3); and about 12 acres in Varthur.
"There was a delay in handing over sites due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was not a deliberate delay," he said. Jayaramaiah also said he is trying to get back four acres and 37 guntas of land he sold in exchange for getting land elsewhere, but never registered so far.
What the audit says
The society's response, however, contradicts what the government commissioned audit report and the investigation conducted by the Registrar of Co-Operative Societies (RCS) found.
The audit showed the society had taken deposits from 3,444 members, but it had enough land to form only 1,438 sites.