H D Kumaraswamy
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mandya: Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H D Kumaraswamy has alleged that the Karnataka government will be looting Bengaluru residents of Rs 15,000 crore under the guise of 'B' khata to 'A' khata conversion, claiming it to be a Deepavali gift.
Speaking to mediapersons after inaugurating a modern autorickshaw stand at Sanjay Circle in Mandya on Thursday, he said, "Seeing the advertisement [put out by the government], I even believed it to be a gift. But in reality, it turns out to be a betrayal of the people under the pretext of Deepavali gift.
To convert a property's 'B' khata to 'A' khata, people have to pay a registration fee of Rs 500. The government would be extorting hundreds of crores through the applications alone. Besides, Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh would be charged for getting an 'A' khata for a 30x40 plot. Earlier, the property owners had to pay Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000. Now, they have to pay in lakhs. Through the 'A' khata scam, the State government would be looting Rs 15,000 crore, Kumaraswamy alleged.
The JD(S) leader alleged that the government had no money. Forget filling the potholes across the State, it cannot fill potholes even in Bengaluru, he said.
Reacting to the recent statements of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Hassan on the funds released by the JD(S)-led government, he said, "A senior Congress leader met me to enquire about my health in Delhi. He himself said that the works taken up under Rs 500 crore funds given by me in 2018 were still underway. Let the Chief Minister provide documents on how much funds I had given when in power and how much he has allocated," he challenged.