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BANGALORE: BJP is screaming hoarse about corruption in the UPA and demanding telecom minister A Raja’s scalp for alleged misdeeds related to 2G spectrum allotment. But in Karnataka, where the party is in power, more skeletons are tumbling out of the scam-scarred B S Yeddyurappa government’s cupboard.

The latest to come to light had the chief minister allot land to his sons’ company. In the first of the three cases, about which TOI has documents detailing the transactions, the CM’s son got land alloted in a prime industrial hub of Bangalore a fortnight after floating a company.

Yeddyurappa’s administration is already under a cloud over allegations that it denotified state-owned land in and around the IT city to favour family members. Recently Katta Subramanya Naidu, the state industries minister, was accused of holding land denotified to favour cronies. Also, earlier this year, higher education minister Ramachandra Gowda was forced out of office amid a swirl of allegations that he had made illegal appointments in Hasan and Mysore medical colleges.

CASE 1
On May 18, 2007, Fluid Power Technologies (P) Ltd, with a registered office at Peenya Industrial Area Stage III, was incorporated. Yeddyurappa’s sons BY Vijayendra and BY Raghavendra were among the six directors appointed the same day. The company had an authorized share capital of Rs 5 crore, with equity shares of Rs 10 each. Of the eight shareholders in the firm, Vijayendra, Raghavendra and their another firm, Davalagiri Property Developers Pvt Ltd, held major stakes. Raghavendra had 5.45 lakh shares of Rs 10 each; Vijayendra 6.45 lakh shares; and Davalagiri 9.5 lakh shares.

Davalagiri, incorporated on March 27, 2006, has Raghavendra, Vijayendra and R N Sohan Kumar, son-in-law of Yeddyurappa, as directors.

On June 2, 2007, within a fortnight, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) allotted 2 acres of land at Jigani I Phase, Bangalore to Fluid Power Technologies.

The government also allotted a litigant property. It was fighting a case against M/s KEGIEN Clothing (P) Ltd before the principal/additional civil judge (junior division) and JMFC, Anekal. The confirmation happened after the suit was dismissed. The allotment letter was given on June 2, 2007. It was confirmed on June 9, 2009. Possession of the property was taken on June 15, 2009.

CASE 2
As deputy CM, B S Yeddyurappa ordered legal action against a person for encroaching upon land acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). But after becoming the CM he ordered denotification of the land in favour of the same person.

The BDA acquired 33 guntas of land -- 40 guntas equal 1 acre -- at survey No. 22/4 and 31 guntas at survey No. 22/5 at Nagashettyhalli, Bangalore North taluk, for RMV Extension II Stage through a final notification on August 2, 1978.

The compensation was awarded and the land entrusted to the technical department in June 1981 and May 1982. On June 26, 1984, BDA decided to allot 21 guntas from survey No. 22/4 and 21 guntas from survey number 22/5 to NIT Society. The agency transferred the land in 1988 in favor of NTI Housing Co-operative Society Ltd.

A certain G Selvakumar staked claim to the remaining 14,432 sq ft of land saying he had purchased the land in 1990. The issue reached the court.

On April 10, 2006, acting on the complaint by party MLA Anil H Lad, Yeddyurappa, then deputy CM, wrote to the BDA commissioner seeking suitable legal action against Selvakumar. Lad had complained that Selvakumar had created false records and constructed a building illegally on the BDA land at the above survey numbers. He alleged even government officials had colluded with Selvakumar.

On August 23, 2006, the 27th additional city civil judge, Bangalore, dismissed the petition of Selvakumar.

On May 28, 2009, Selvakumar wrote to Yeddyurappa (then chief minister) asking him to denotify the land. The letter said: "The BDA is not in possession of the land. If BDA claims that it is in possession, then it is only a paper possession and not a factual or legal possession."

The CM’s deputy secretary, H R Mahadev, wrote to the urdab development department principal secretary calling for the file. The CM gave his nod.

On January 13, 2010, the government denotified 14,432 sq ft of land at survey Nos. 22/4 and 22/5 at Nagashettyhalli in favour of Selvakumar.

CASE 3
On July 18, 2009, Yeddyurappa used his discretion and allotted a BDA site measuring 50x80 feet to his son Raghavendra at survey No. 25/2, Nagashettyhalli, RMV II Stage, in violation of rules.

The BDA (Allotment of Sites) Rules, 1984, say an applicant can seek a site `(if) he or any member of his family does not own a site or a house in Bangalore Metropolitan Area and has not been allotted a site or a house by the BDA or by any other authority within the Bangalore metropolitan area’.

Though he owned two residential plots, Raghavendra took possession of the site at Nagashettyhalli. In the declaration before the Election Commission in 2009, Raghavendra, MP from Shimoga, did not reveal information about these properties. He had merely stated he hadn’t received any site or house from a government agency.

On July 12, 2004, Raghavendra had purchased a 50x80 ft land from Manyata Promoters Pvt Ltd at Manyata Residency.

On April 21, 2006, he had bought 20 guntas (21,580 sq ft) of land at Rachenahalli from S N Krishnaiah Setty. On November 3, 2008, to favour his son, the CM had denotified this land acquired for Arkavathy Layout. Later, this agricultural land was converted to a residence