Priyadarshini M.K. was allotted a site in 2002

In flagrant violation of laws governing housing societies, which state that only employees are eligible for sites in employees' housing cooperative societies, the daughter of Union Minister for Labour and Employment M. Mallikarjun Kharge was allotted a plot in the Judicial Department Employees House Building Cooperative Society, which is embroiled in a controversy, in 2002.

Clause 10 of the Model Bylaws for housing co-operatives laid down by the Government says: “He/she in the case of Employee House Building Society is an employee of the organisation for which the society has been organised and has put in a minimum continuous or intermittent service of five years in Karnataka.”

According to a sale deed made available to The Hindu , Mr. Kharge's daughter, Priyadarshini M.K., was allotted site number 1448, measuring 3,280 sq. ft on January 15, 2002 for Rs. 1,96,837.

Incidentally, Ms. Priyadarshini is a medical practitioner and not an employee of the Judicial Department.

No family name

Interestingly, neither Ms. Priyadarshini nor her father have provided their family names.

The sale deed refers to them merely as “Priyadarshini” daughter of “Mallikarjuna”. They have given their address as “289, 17th Cross, 8th Main, Sadashivanagar, Bangalore.”

The official website of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee mentions the same address as that of Mr. Kharge.

According to the Election Commission of India website, Ms. Priyadarshini is a voter registered in Sadashivanagar, Malleswaram Assembly Constituency, and her address is 289, 2nd Main Road Sadashivnagar.

In the case of Narayana Reddy versus the State of Karnataka, 1991, the Division Bench chaired by Justice M. Rama Jois had observed: “In case of house building societies formed in respect of employees of any organisation or industry, the membership should be confined to the employees who may continue as members even after retirement and the societies should be prohibited from enrolling outsiders as members.”

Asked to comment on the allotment made to Ms. Priyadarshini, Mr. Jois told The Hindu : “I do not want to comment on one individual or the other. My judgment is very clear that non-employees cannot be admitted as members of societies meant for employees. It has also been upheld by the Supreme Court. If non-employees cannot even be admitted as members, can they be allotted sites? Is this person [Ms. Priyadarshini] an employee of the Judicial Department.”

Membership noumber

Unlike other sale deeds, there is also no mention of the membership number even though the deed says: “Priyadarshini, one of the member applicants, has paid the said amount from time to time which the society, hereby acknowledges.”

Though efforts were made to contact Mr. Kharge through his personal assistant and son Priyank Kharge, he was not available for comment.