TIMES VIEW

BENGALURU: Months after the BJP-led government in Maharashtra courted controversy by allotting a piece of prime land to actress and MP Hema Malini for a dance academy, the Karnataka government has done something similar. It has allotted prime lands in Belagavi, Vijayapura, Mysuru and Mangaluru for construction of party offices at throwaway prices.Documents accessed by TOI show the government has allotted 10 guntas -10,890 sqft -of prime land in Belagavi city at Rs 500 per sqft for the construction of Belagavi District Congress Committee (BDCC) office. The plot worth Rs 7.6 crore as per the government-fixed rates (much less than the market value, though) has been allotted for a meagre Rs 54.45 lakh. Its market value could be Rs 15 crore, sub-registrar office sources said.It started on Sept 3, 2014 when the then BDCC chief Laxmi Hebbalkar -she now heads the state Mahila Congress submitted a proposal to the state urban development department seeking 10 guntas for constructing the district party office. The BDCC wanted a plot in the vicinity of the land where Mahatma Gandhi held the Congress summit in 1924 after he became the party president. On the urban development depart ment's directive, the Belagavi City Corporation agreed to allot the plot at Rs 7,000 per sqft (guidance value rate) considering it as land meant for semi-public purpose and asked the BDCC to pay Rs 7.62 crore.Peeved by this, local Congress leaders exerted pressure on the government and submitted a fresh proposal on March 19, 2015 seeking 10 guntas at Rs 500 per sqft. The cabinet headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah approved it with riders, which included that the land should not be used for any purpose except for construction of the party office and it should not be subleased for any other activity. Following the cabinet approval, the government directed BCC to allot the land to BDCC for Rs 54,45,000. The civic body had no choice but to abide by it.That's not all. The BDCC again wrote to the government seeking a directive to BCC to accept Rs 54.45 lakh in two equal instalments, the first at the time of registration and second after two years. The cabinet approved it last week, paving the way for BDCC to take up the construction of office building after paying Rs 27.22 lakh.Sources said the government is in the process of or has allotted land at throwaway prices at other four district headquarters where the party has no permanent building or land. Also, the government has allotted 39 guntas of land to the JD(S) near Binny Mills in Bengaluru at Rs 1,500 per sqft.“This is not a scam. We can't run the show from a rented building. Our government has given the JD(S) a plot near the Bengaluru City railway station on lease for Rs 1,500 per month.The Congress high command has mandated that all district units should have their own buildings. In Vijayapura and Mangaluru too, land has been given to the party. A committee headed by energy minister DK Shivakumar and comprising ministers KJ George and HC Mahadevappa approved land for the Belagavi Congress unit. There are examples of land given to other parties,“ said Laxmi Hebbalkar, Karnataka state Mahila Congress chairperson and former Belagavi District Congress Committee chief.At the outset, the deal smacks nothing short of a scam, handing out land in Belagavi city for a tenth of the government-listed price. When integrity and probity are virtues coveted by very few among those holding office, the government has exposed itself to a new set of allegations of favouritism. What's more shocking is a Congress leader's strong defence of the deal and justification that governments do dole out land deals to rival parties too. Are parties so short of funds and rectitude? They must spare a thought for villages in need of a school, hospital, power, water supply.