Karnataka - Mysore   

Citizens' group threatens to gherao MUDA members

Staff Correspondent

SEEKING A BETTER DEAL: MUDA site aspirants participating in a meeting convened by the Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore, in Mysore on Sunday. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: The Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore (ACICM) have threatened to gherao the Mysore Urban Development Authority members during the next meeting to protest against the lack of transparency in the activities of the authority.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of MUDA site aspirants convened by the ACICM in Mysore on Sunday. They gave vent to their anger over the delay in allotment of sites to aspirants, whose waiting list had now swelled to 1.25 lakh.

The site aspirants suspected MUDA members of pursuing their selfish agendas during the meetings, which included conversion of land from agricultural to residential purpose for the benefit of private developers. "The members secure the conversion for the private developers in return for kickbacks," ACICM convener Lakshmana charged.

"We have decided to gherao the MUDA members during the next meeting and demand the MUDA meetings be thrown open to the press," he said. "They should allow some of us as well as the press to watch the proceedings of the meetings," he said.

Alleging irregularities in the recently announced list of MUDA site allottees, Mr. Lakshmana said 50 per cent of the list comprised of people who were aged above 85 to 90.

Also, the list comprised of a majority of applicants who were not from Mysore, he added.

The ACICM has urged the authorities to refrain from accepting fresh applications till the pending list was cleared. He said the site aspirants under the aegis of the ACICM would also gherao Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy either during his visit to Mysore or in Bangalore.

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