Firoz.T.Totanawala
The Bangalore Metro Reporter
Firoz.T.Totanawala
The Bangalore Metro Reporter
1st July 2012 issue-
THE
HONEST POLITICIAN!
SURESH KUMAR –THE BIRD OF SAME FEATHER!
Law Minister
Suresh Kumar had tendered his resignation as a minister following charges of
his getting a big BDA site under ‘G’ category, while he had a house and two
sites in his family member’s names. Suresh Kumar refused to take back his
resignation unless the CM ordered probe and got his name cleared. The CM
referred the matter to the Advocate General who gave a report that Suresh Kumar
had done nothing wrong. And now, the business is as usual.
Suresh
Kumar over the years had cultivated an image of simple, honest and transparent
politician. But, the charges of his involvement in a site scam have definitely
damaged his reputation and credibility.
Let us take a
look at the charges. Suresh Kumar’s mother who is a retired teacher had
purchased a house in Rammohanpuram with her money. His wife is a senior journalist
and he himself has been a politician. So, he was not much inclined towards
worldly needs, more so as his daughter has also completed her medical
education. This fact had a great bearing on his image, which people considered
honest breed of rare politicians. Even as a Minister, Suresh Kumar had not
involved in scams.
It all started
with BBMP in its road widening scheme, issuing notice to Suresh Kumar’s
mother’s house, intimating acquisition for the road widening project. As a
citizen, Suresh has every right to protest the acquisition and family property
or atleast make alternative property. So, assuming that his mother’s house
would be demolished for road widening, he made a request to the then Chief
Minister Yedurappa for allottment of a site.
Yedurappa upon
his request, alloted him a big site (50x80) in Nagarabhavi Layout. But, the
same Yedurappa denotified the lands in favour of its original owners and Suresh’s
site was also in the denotified land. This denotification has become another
scandal of Yedurappa.
So, Suresh Kumar
again requested the Chief Minister for alternate site allotment in lieu of the
Nagarabhavi site which was lost due to denotification. This time Yedurappa took
enough care and alloted him a similar big site (50x80) in RMV Extension. This
allotment was definitely a jackpot for Suresh Kumar as it was in the most posh
area of Bangalore, where the sital rate is more than Rs.20,000/- per sqft. And
what is the rate of allottment of this site to Suresh Kumar? It is a simple 10
lakhs that is Rs. 250 per square feet! Where is Rs.250 per Sft. and where is
Rs.20,000 per sft? If this is not procuring political favour, then what is it?
In the
meanwhile, the BBMP dropped the road widening project and his mother’s house
remained safe and intact. So, his request for allottment
of a BDA site on the excuse that his house was to be demolished lost its
relevance. Moral propriety expects Suresh to have withdrawn his application for
a BDA site. But this ‘simpleton’ and honest politicians suppressed this fact
when he asked for an alternate site in lieu of the Nagarabhavi site!
Suresh’s mother
and daughter were allotted one site each from the Satyanarayana Housing Society
at Madanayakanahalli. The Housing Societies allot sites months in advance so
that the members can pay the remaining sital amount and get the site
registered. No society allots the sites and registers the same the next day or
even next month.
And the story
takes a different turn from here. Before the sites were allotted to Suresh’s
mother and daughter, Suresh had submitted an affidavit to the BDA swearing that
neither he nor his dependent family members own a site or house in Bangalore
Metropolitan area. This is a statutory binding as BDA rules stipulate one site
per family.
It is this
affidavit of Suresh that has shown him in poor light. When he swore the
affidavit, he had a house in his mother’s name and he had claimed that his
mother is dependant on him. So, when he submitted the affidavit to the BDA that
neither he nor his dependent family members own a site/house in Bangalore, it
was definitely a false one. And Suresh is an honest and simpleton politician
and the Law Minister to boot.
Again, the
procurement of two sites in the name of his mother and daughter is also
improper as the Housing Co-op. Societies allot only one site for a family. Here
too, the members have to submit an affidavit similar to the affidavit to be
given to BDA for site allottment. The allotment of two sites in the name of
mother and daughter is highly illegal. Being a law minister Suresh knows
better.
After resignation, Suresh tried to
defend his false affidavit by stating that he had no site/house of his own in
BDA limits. He also defended the allotment of two sites by a Housing Society on
the pretext that the sites does not come under BDA limits, conveniently
forgetting that the area is under BBMP. He reiterated his stand that he will
not withdraw the resignation till the matter is probed and he declared
innocent!
CM Sadananda
referred the matter to the Advocate General Vijayashankar to give legal
opinion. The AG is chosen by the law minister and as usual, the AG gave an
opinion that Suresh had done no wrong. The house is in his mother’s name and belongs
to her as she had her own income; conveniently ignoring the fact that Suresh
himself had submitted that his mother is dependent on him. Regarding the two
sites, the AG echoed Suresh’s defence that they do not come under BDA! So,
acting on this made up ‘clean’ Certificate, Suresh Kumar withdrew his
resignation! He had also decided to return the BDA site in RVM II Stage also!
In a nutshell,
the AG who is the personal choice of the law minister did his job well to
provide legal sanctity to Suresh’s illegal acts by endorsing his defence! If
the AG is asked to decide about the charges against a minister, then what is
the need for courts or Lokayukta? Sadananda should have asked for the Incharge
Lokayukta to conduct a preliminary probe within seven days and submit an
interim report. He would have even asked a retired SC/HC judge to go through
the charges. But he chose the AG who is a public servant.
Whatsoever, the
entire episode involves more a moral than a legal or technical issue. And
Suresh has disgraced himself from the public esteem by proving that he is just
one of the professional politicians who are out to gain from power. That is all.
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