Ex-servicemen promised free sites

Tahsildar and other officials raid make-shift office suspecting cheating

Following instructions from Deputy Commissioner P Manivannan who is also the Chairman of District Sainik Welfare Board, the officers raided the premises and verified the documents.

Geetha Krishna told Deccan Herald that according to preliminary investigations it is an illegal activity as Sainik Welfare Board has not issued any permission. Deputy Director of Sainik Welfare Maj Gen (Retd) Vishwanath has denied of giving any such permission.

R Venkatesh who is behind this activity claimed that he was the director of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and has all the documents in his possession, Geetha Krishna recalled the telephonic conversation he had with Venkatesh. Already 1,700 ex-servicemen from Bangalore, Tamil Nadu and several other States have applied for sites here. Venkatesh also claimed that the DC has given permission and also accused the officers of trespassing his property.

Meanwhile a few members of local Gram Panchayat alleged that the activities of sangha amounts to suspicion as they have not obtained any prior licence. Geetha Krishna said that they have sought documents from Venkatesh. If proven guilty, he will be booked of cheating.

Unanswered questions

There are many unanswered questions including the ‘social service’ motive behind the venture.  The office instead of being opened in the heart of the city is accommodated in a shed in a corner of Uttanahalli road. Moreover, Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is yet to allot sites for the pending 1.6 lakh site aspirants from the past several years. When the authority constituted for the very purpose is finding it difficult, large-scale site distribution for ex-servicemen is under suspicion.

Most importantly, no such advertisements have been released in newspapers about the service. It is being spread by word of mouth.