BJP says Karnataka Revenue Minister ‘usurped’ 21 acres, Krishna Byre Gowda refutes

Belagavi: The Opposition BJP demanded Wednesday the resignation of Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, counted as one among the ‘cleanest’ faces in the Congress government, accusing him of usurping 21.16 acres of land in his family’s native Kolar district. 

While the BJP said it had documents to back the claim, Gowda refuted the allegation and said the land was "ancestral property". He also said he would cooperate with an independent investigation. 

The allegation pertains to survey numbers 46 (20.16 acres) and 47 (one acre) at Garudanapalya village, Narsapura hobli, in Kolar. 

The Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops (RTC) furnished by the BJP purportedly shows the names of Gowda and his family members as joint holders of the 21.16 acres. Mutation — the process of recording change in land ownership — was done in April last year.

The saffron party’s claim is that documents were fudged to help Gowda’s family get the land. 

“According to original documents dating back to 1978, survey number 46 was lake land. Nobody can lay claim on lake land,” Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council,  Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, said.

“Survey number 47 was kharab land earmarked as a cemetery, which can’t be transferred,” he said, demanding an investigation. “Each acre costs Rs 5-6 crore today,” he added. 

Gowda described as “mudslinging” and “politically motivated” the BJP’s allegation.

He said the Garudanapalya land was “ancestral property” passed down from his grandfather. “My grandfather bought the land. Then, it came to my father (former minister C Byre Gowda) and his siblings. It was partitioned within the family,” he said. 

Gowda said records could be checked to verify whether or not his grandfather had bought the land. 

“They [BJP] can approach the Lokayukta seeking an investigation. If there’s no faith in the Lokayukta, they can go to court,” Gowda said. “As revenue minister, I don’t want to ask my officials to check records pertaining to land connected to me. That’s why an independent institution should check this,” he said.

Asked about the 1978 documents, Gowda said there were “handwritten” RTCs before 2000. “Let it be investigated.” 

In a statement, Gowda said the land belonged to the erstwhile Mysore royal family. The entire Garudanapalya village was leased to the minister’s grandfather, Patel Chowdegowda, for 10 years in 1953.

In January 1959, however, the royalty sold all lands to one Habeebulla Khan.

After the Inam Abolition Act came into effect in February 1959, all lands of Garudanapalya became vested in the state.

Chowdegowda’s claim was rejected in 1962 when a special deputy commissioner ruled that Khan was the occupant.

Chowdegowda appealed against this decision in the Mysuru Revenue Appellate Tribunal. After lengthy hearings, Chowdegowda and Khan filed a conciliation application. Based on the decree, lands were transferred to Chowdegowda.

In 2001, the lands were divided amongst Chowdegowda’s heirs, the minister said. “Therefore, this is ancestral property and all processes were done legally.”

With the latest allegation, the ruling Congress is facing land-related ‘scam’ for the third time since it came to power.

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife had to return 14 plots to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) following allegations of irregularities. 

The Siddhartha Vihar Trust, linked to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family, returned a 5-acre Civic Amenities (CA) site to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board after allegations of nepotism.

Quote -

According to original documents dating back to 1978 survey number 46 was lake land. Nobody can lay claim on lake land. Survey number 47 was kharab land earmarked as a cemetery which can't be transferred. Each acre costs Rs 5-6 crore today."

- Chalavadi Narayanaswamy LoP

Quote -

"My grandfather bought the land. Then it came to my father (former minister C Byre Gowda) and his siblings. It was partitioned within the family. They [BJP] can approach the Lokayukta seeking an investigation. If there's no faith in the Lokayukta they can go to court."

- Krishna Byre Gowda, Revenue Minister