CMG scam: saga of land largesse

BANGALORE: Even as instances of illegal denotification of land in and around Bangalore are coming to light almost every day, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has run out of land to allot sites to VVIPS under the G category.
In a letter to the urban development department on November 24, 2009, the then BDA commissioner H Siddaiah had drawn the government's attention to the G category quota being exceeded.He wrote that from January 2000 to November 2009, 426 persons promised G category sites were still waiting for them as land was not available. He suggested all previous sanctions be withdrawn.
Disregarding it, the government has been allotting sites under this privilege quota, the latest on November 23, when seven were given. In the letter, Siddaiah had said stock-taking by BDA on stray sites had revealed that 600 were available. As only 30% of total sites available are earmarked for G category, it means only 180 can be given in this quota. Since most VVIPs are given 50x80 sites, only 27 plots were available.
The saga of G category sites, largesse doled out by CMs, has been one of misuse. The misuse is broadly in two categories: CM's kin and politicians as well as non-deserving getting them only because of their proximity to him.
Beneficiaries of largesse
Rules stipulate G category sites should be given to only those who don't own a plot, either of the BDA, BBMP or in any part of the state taken from the urban local authority or Karnataka Housing Board.
Some instances of former CMs' kin and senior politicians getting plots even though they already owned one or were not eligible:
* S M Krishna
Former assembly speaker M V Venkatappa (50x80, Domlur), Rajeev Gowda (Venkatappa's son -- 50x80, Rajmahal Vilas), Vijayalakshmi Ramanna (Venkatappa's wife's sister -- 50x80, HSR Layout)
* N Dharam Singh
Priyadarshini (daughter -- 50x80, HSR Layout), Padmabai (benami-relative -- 50x80, HSR Layout), Priyanke Kharge (Union minister Mallikarjun M Kharge's son -- 50x80, HSR Layout)
* H D Kumaraswamy
YSV Datta, MLC (40x60, KMRSL First Stage), VS Acharya (40x60, HSR Layout), M P Renukacharya (40x60, HSR layout), Visveshwara Hegde Kageri (40x60, HSR Layout), R Roshan Baig (50x80, HSR Layout)
* B S Yeddyurappa
Pallavi Ram (daughter of BJP MP D B Chandre Gowda, 50x80, RMV II Stage). Plots allotted to Yeddyurappa's family members have been returned.
G category site
When BDA forms a layout, some allottees may return their sites or cancel and, in some cases, there is readjustment of the plot. These are blocked as G category sites and allotted to VVIPS at a nominal rate of Rs 2,100 per sqm. The rates were fixed in June 2003 and haven't been revised.
Site -- Cost
30x40 -- Rs 2.26 lakh
60x40 -- Rs 4.53 lakh
50x80 -- Rs 7.56 lakh
(BDA sells it at 10% above current allotment rate where a 50x80 plot will finally cost Rs 8.62 lakh)