Shettar caused Rs 63-crore loss to govt: Social activist

Social activist T J Abraham on Monday accused former chief minister Jagadish Shettar of causing a loss of Rs 63.55 crore to the State exchequer by buying a disputed property on Acharya Tulasi Road in Gandhi Nagar for the construction of a building for the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

Addressing a press conference, Abraham said that the Law department had categorically stated in its report that it was not feasible to purchase the land in question due to a pending dispute.

Yet, on September 6, 2012, Shettar, the then chief minister, got the Cabinet approval for the purchase of the land, he said.

“The land belongs to Murugharajendra Swami of Bruhanmutt in Chitradurga. The government paid Rs 29.19 crore by demand draft as tax in favour of the Swami. The government paid the loan of Rs 34.19 crore, taken from the Union Bank of India by mortgaging the mutt,” said Abraham.

He said that a case pertaining to the 28,500 sq ft of land was pending in the court. He said that the KIADB will have to pay Rs 4.19 cr as stamp duty, which could have been saved if the land was acquired. “I demand the State government to investigate the disputed land deal,” said Abraham.

When contacted, Shettar rejected the allegation saying that the land deal was as per rule. He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of instigating T J Abraham to counter his charges of irregularities in denotifying land in Arkavathi Layout. Law Minister T B Jayachandra said that seldom private lands were bought to construct government building. There could be some malafide intentions if that has been done.