Industrial development is the nation's progress—that's what Mahatma Gandhi envisioned. In line with Gandhian ideals, India's five-year plans emphasized establishing industries. As a result, hundreds of factories have been built with foreign and domestic investments, creating lakhs of jobs. To facilitate land acquisition for these industries, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) was established in Karnataka. Its key responsibility is to acquire farmers' land through compulsory purchase, provide compensation in lieu, and allocate the land for industrial setup.
However, KIADB's operations have undergone a complete transformation in recent days.Bribes from File to File!Yes, to get compensation funds released from KIADB, bribes must be paid at every stage. Even the office peon knows this dirty secret.Compensation Released to Those Not in PossessionKIADB's irregularities aren't one or two—double payments, funds sanctioned in the names of the deceased, approvals for non-existent companies, compensation for thousands of acres of government land... Several such issues are under investigation, with some facing intense scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Amid all this, another scandal has now come to light: Releasing ₹13 crore to individuals not in legal possession, plunging the agency into fresh trouble. In the Maruti Sevanagar survey, Lakshminarayan was declared the legal possessor by BBMP orders and a High Court directive. Yet, ignoring these, KIADB officials fabricated documents and released the compensation to a third party named Narayanaswamy...Money Vanishes in Half an Hour!
Evidence is mounting that ED KIADB officials orchestrated a massive conspiracy to release these funds. Even before the money hit the SBI account, officials' brokers siphoned off crores through RTGS transfers in four phases on the same day. In connection with this, a writ petition has been filed in the High Court, demanding action against several officials..!
Whose Henchmen's Heads Will Roll..!
Principal Secretary (Name withheld)
KIADB CEO Mahesh
Special Land Acquisition Officer Tejas Kumar
Ajit Rai
Maruti Prasanna Manager
Along with several brokers, complaints have been lodged against them with the Lokayukta. KAS officer Tejas Kumar and his subordinates have obtained Section 17A clearance, and a raid on KIADB offices could happen any moment.Written evidence shows government money flowing straight to favored accounts.
A complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been filed, and it could turn into action any second. In the past double payment case, during the ED raid, Special Land Acquisition Officer Balappa Handigund went into hiding for days, avoiding duty—a infamous chapter in KIADB's history. We'll have to wait and watch how far this case escalates.