Rs 400-crore land given to Chanakya University for just Rs 50 crore: Siddaramaiah

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday released documents to claim that the government has allotted land worth Rs 300-400 crore at a throwaway price of Rs 50 crore to the proposed Chanakya University.

Siddaramaiah was speaking at a news conference a day after the Assembly passed the Chanakya University Bill.

The proposed private university will be set up by the Centre for Educational and Social Studies (CESS), whose executive council is headed by senior academic MK Sridhar, a member of the NEP drafting committee.

“The BJP government, in April 2021, took a decision in the Cabinet that 116.16 acres land that was acquired in Haralur near Devanahalli for the aerospace and defence sector will be allotted to CESS,” Siddaramaiah said, noting that B S Yediyurappa was the chief minister then.

Siddaramaiah said that the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) had acquired the land from farmers by paying a compensation of Rs 1.5 crore per acre in 2019. “For 116 acres, the total compensation was Rs 175 crore. The land itself is worth Rs 300-400 crore, which is being given away for just Rs 50 crore,” he said, flashing a government order issued in April this year allotting the land to CESS.

“CESS is full of people associated with the RSS,” Siddaramaiah charged. “The government’s decision reeks of nepotism. It should immediately cancel the allotment of land and not allow the establishment of this university,” he said. “CESS has no experience in running educational institutions. Plus, the proposed university has no infrastructure. On what basis was this university permitted to start and given land? The government should clarify,” he said.

The Assembly witnessed pandemonium during a debate on the Bill to set up the university. “The Bill was rushed through. What was the hurry? Is this a subject of public emergency,” Siddaramaiah asked.

The Congress leader added that his government (2013-18) did not allot land at throwaway prices to any institution. “We will now fight the government’s decision, even legally,” he said.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar wondered why the Chanakya University was not given land available next to the Sanskrit University in Magadi. “Why set up an RSS university on land meant for industries?” he asked.

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