‘Govt can take back land allotted to organisations, if unused’: Industries Minister M B Patil

Industries Minister M B Patil on Thursday said that land parcels allotted to the Chanakya University and the RSS-associated Rashtrotthana Parishat, would be taken back if they are not used for the intended purposes. 

Patil’s remarks came in the wake of BJP leaders, including leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council T Chalavadi Narayanswamy, upping their ante against the allotment of a five-acre CA site to Congress president M Mallikarjuna Kharge family-owned trust in the aerospace-related SEZ at Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district. 

Addressing a press conference here, Patil also said that the government would review additional land allotted to former BJP minister Murugesh Nirani’s school when he was in office. The state government would have to recover the remaining land if Chanakya University, believed to be run by pro-RSS academics, does not utilise 51% of the 116 acres allotted in the SEZ by 2026, Patil said. 

He said the Rashtrotthana Parishat has not made any use of five acres allotted in 2013 in the SEZ to build a multi-utility commercial complex. The Parishat is seeking extensions after extension, Patil claimed and added that the institution got a two-year extension in December 2023.    

Even Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy has done nothing but build a small shed on a two-acre plot he got in 2006 at Mysuru, the minister said.

Patil said Nirani, as industries minister, allotted 25 acres of land in agropark at Navanagar Bagalkot and built Tejas International School. Subsequently, he became the industries minister for the second term. Then, he decided to allot a 6.12-acre plot in the park to expand operations of the school, Patil alleged.   

Apart from this, Nirani also took steps in his second term to take possession of 117 acres of land at Bookankere in Mandya district for his son Vijay Nirani owned private sugar factory by canceling a land allotted to someone else, he said.

Patil said he has not taken any such decisions.

“Why should we not take back the land if it is not used for the stated purpose by individuals or any trust?” questioned. 

He also claimed that BJP is trying to pit Narayanaswamy, a Dalit leader to malign Mallikarjun Kharge despite the KIADB following every possible norm as well as bringing more transparency in the allotment of CA sites.

“Despite having discretionary powers as minister, I did not use them to allot the site. With all due  diligence, the entire process of notifying CA sites started in November 2023 and it culminated in March 2024. So, Narayanswamy’s allegation of carrying  out notification process in a hurried manner is totally wrong,” he said and added that there was no loss of revenue to the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 550 crore to Rs 600 crore as claimed by Narayanaswamy.