Bengaluru, Aug 24 (PTI) : Karnataka Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav, who is facing allegation of land grab in his mother's name, today said he had no connection in the matter and that there was neither any illegality nor irregularity in the purchase of land by her.

He also said he was not in the state government or Bengaluru when the purchase of land took place.

"Now the chief minister has asked for a report, let's wait for the report. It iss my job to clarify, I'm going to clarify exactly," Jadhav told reporters here.

He said, "(It has) nothing to do with me, she (his mother) is a private citizen. I can tell you very clearly when this transaction happened I was not here. I was deputed to the Government of India. I never intervened at all. The land was brought 14 years ago..."

Arvind Jadhav

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said yesterday he has sought a report from the revenue department in the wake of media reports that alleged that Jadhav had manipulated land records and misused his office to get 8.30 acres of government land registered in his mother's name.

Responding to questions, Siddaramaih had said, "I have asked for a report from the revenue department. Let it come."

Jadhav, in a detailed statement, said the land in survey No 29 of Ramanayakana Halli of Anekal Taluk was purchased by Tarabai Marutirao Jadhav (his mother) during 2002.

"The said land purchase was made well after the expiry of 15 years period of non-alienation clause. To this effect an endorsement was issued by the revenue authorities in July 2002 stating that these belong to the general category," he said.

"The land was purchased by her out of the proceeds of sale of agriculture land of Hegganahalli of Devanahalli Taluk. It was her money and her decision as an independent person," Jadhav, whose tenure as chief secretary has been extended by three months from June 30 last, said.

Holding that subsequent to the purchase, applications were made a number of times for completion and fixation of survey boundaries as provided for in the revenue laws, the 1978-batch IAS officer said the exercise of seeking completion of "phodi" division and "durasti" (survey) in obtaining a new RTC (right, tenancy and crop certificate) is a regular feature.

The effort of the land owner to seek streamlining the survey in the revenue records as per the Land Revenue Act has taken more than 14 years in the courts of the assistant director and deputy Director of land records, he said.

Noting that any decision of the revenue and survey department was subject to judicial review, and legal recourse is available to the aggrieved, Jadhav said over the last 14 years, the grant of land in survey No 29 of Ramanayakanahalli and the purchase through registered sale deed had never been questioned by the competent authorities.

"There is neither any illegality nor any irregularity with regard to purchase of land by her," he added.

He also said that the land was not a government land when it was purchased by his mother.

Maintaining that any other matter will be brought to light during the inquiry and law shall take its course through due process if required, he said the deputy commissioner, Bengaluru urban and the revenue department were seized of the matter as per the instructions of the chief minister.

Earlier news

Bengaluru: Land grabbing charge against chief secretary - complaint filed with ACB

Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 24: RTI activist, S Bhaskaran, filed complaint in Anti Corruption Bureau against chief secretary of the state, Arvind Jadhav, who has been accused of attempting to grab land in the name of his mother.

Bhaskaran has alleged that Arvind Jadhav has annexed land in the name of his mother, Tarabai Maruti Rao Jadhav , by creating fake records. He also said that Jadhav had transferred officials who did not support his plans.

It is said that out of 74 acres of government land located in survey No. 29 of Raanayakanahalli village in Sarjapur revenue division of Anekal taluk, Bengaluru city district, Jadhav had asked the deputy commissioner to furnish records, duly telling him that 8.3 acres out of the said land had been sanctioned to his mother. When preparations were made to sanction 66 acres of land in this survey number to different beneficiaries illegally, survey officer reportedly raised objection. It is said that angered at this development, the chief secretary transferred the officer. Reports claim that each acre of land here fetches anywhere between two to five crore rupees.

Some media reports said that when the chief secretary met chief minister, Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday August 23 to furnish explanation on the above report, Siddaramaiah took him to task severely. The chief minister, speaking to media persons later, said that he has asked revenue officials to submit a report on the land grab allegations. Deputy commissioner of Bengaluru city district, V Shankar, said that the report would be submitted to the principal secretary in revenue department by the end of the day.

The news about the chief secretary's alleged pressure on officials to create records in the name of his mother is creating ripples at a time when encroachment of lakes and main canals by construction companies and house owners is being widely discussed in the state.