Graft legalised with BDA help?

Graft legalised with BDA help?
Deccan Herald

Now, it would appear, corruption been legalised. At least if one were to go by the functioning of the Cooperation Department and the Bangalore Development Authority in granting clearance to private layouts.


Now, it would appear, corruption been legalised. At least if one were to go by the functioning of the Cooperation Department and the Bangalore Development Authority in granting clearance to private layouts.

A housing co-operative society has adopted a resolution at its general body meeting stating that it paid a bribe of Rs 4.5 crore to politicians, officers and BDA officials to clear the way for the formation of layouts for its members. It also mentions this in its records.

The Co-operation Department, which conducted the audit of the society, has not objected to the bribery despite the transparency of the act.


The case, involving the Vishwabharati Housing Co-operative Society, has been detected by the Joint Legislature Committee on land encroachment in and around Bangalore. Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, committee chairman and MLA A T Ramaswamy expressed shock at the entire episode.

Copies of documents released by him showed that society president B Krishna Bhat, in his address at the general body meeting on September 23, 2001, had stated that the society had paid a bribe of Rs 4.5 crore at Rs 20 per square foot of land for the fourth stage of housing project. The bribe was paid to resolve outside court a dispute over bulk allotment of land.

“But no worthy progress took place despite paying the bribe,” the copy of the speech said.

Call for probe

Bangalore Development Minister V Somanna and then BDA chairman L R Shivarame Gowda have been dragged into the controversy. Referring to this, Mr Ramaswamy said he had written a letter to the government seeking a probe into the episode and criminal prosecution of the society and officials.

He said that after examining the Karnataka High Court order, the BDA had decided against making bulk allotments to the society. He appealed to the members of the society not get cheated by the false claim of the society that the court had ruled in its favour.

Mr Ramaswamy drew the attention of the government to irregularities committed by housing cooperative societies that sell even civic amenities sites. Of the 301 housing cooperatives in Bangalore, 108 were unauthorised, he noted.

WHEELING DEALING

*Bangalore Development Minister V Somanna and former BDA chairman L R Shivarame Gowda named

*Bribe paid to resolve dispute over bulk allotment of land

*Panel calls for thorough probe

*Criminal prosecution of society, officials recommended

*Many irregularities by housing cooperative societies