Questions raised on alleged allocation of govt land to trust run by Kharge family

PTI, Aug 25, 2024, 8:26 PM IST

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (credit: PTI / File)

Bengaluru: BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya on Sunday questioned the alleged allocation of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land to a trust run by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s family, and asked when did they become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for the land.

He also sought to know whether the case was about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest? “It has come to light from a news report backed by documents that a trust (Siddhartha Vihara Trust) run by Mallikaijun Kharge’s family, has been allocated 05 acres of Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) land (out of the total 45.94 acres) meant for civic amenities, under the SC quota, in the Hitech Defence Aerospace Park near Bengaluru,” Siroya said in a statement.

The MP noted that, interestingly, trustees of the trust include Kharge himself, his wife Radhabai Kharge, his son-in-law and Gulbarga MP Radhakrishna Doddamani, son and minister in the Karnataka Government Priyank Kharge, and another son, Rahul Kharge among others.

“Is this about misuse of power, nepotism, and conflict of interest?” he asked.

Further questioning as to how did Industries Minister, M B Patil, consented to this allocation in March 2024, Siroya asked, “When did the Kharge family become aerospace entrepreneurs to be eligible for KIADB land? The matter of this alleged illegal allocation has also reached the Governor’s office through an RTI activist.” “Will the Kharge family eventually have to give up this land like Siddaramaiah (Chief Minister) will have to give up the controversial MUDA sites in Mysuru? Will this allocation be probed?” he sought to know.