CBI probe into KIADB land deals sought

A petition, filed in the High Court, has sought Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investination into various issues related land acquisition, denotification and allotment by Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

The petition has sought directions based on irregularities highlighted by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) in its report presented before the legislature.

“Even CAG had stated that there is a need for CBI inquiry,” the petition said.

Misuse of power

The petitioner Jayakumar Hiremath contended that the CAG report had exposed misuse of power and authority by public servants occupying positions at the relevant time, and, thereby, committing offences of cheating, fraud and criminal breach of trust as well as corruption under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. 

The CAG report was placed before the legislature on March 30, 2012. Although it has been almost a year there has been no action initiated by the government, which, thereby, warrants an interference from the court, the petitioner maintained.

Quoting the CAG report, the petitioner pointed out that the audit covered the period 2006-11 during which KIADB had acquired 26,624 acre and 20 gunta of land for 58 industrial areas in 18 districts.

Regional imbalance

The sample audit by CAG found that “KIADB failed to correct regional imbalances in establishment of industrial areas, failed to obtain permission for change in land use, acquired land for an integrated steel and power generation plant in excess of the requirement, deleted available government land from acquisition carried out, parallel acquisition of the same land by the board and Government of India, failed to get title of the acquired land transferred in its favour and illegally denotified land,” the petitioner contended.