Bengaluru: Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav on Wednesday strongly denied any irregularity in the purchase of land by his mother, Ratabai Marutirao Jadhav in Ramanayakanahalli , Anekal taluk in 2002.
Pointing out that he was not in the state government and not even in Bengaluru at the time, he said in a statement that the transaction, “was my mother’s decision taken as an independent person."
Mr Jadhav noted that over last 14 years, the authorities concerned had never questioned either the grant of the land in Survey No 29 of Ramanayakanahalli or its purchase by his mother through a registered sale deed.
Asserting that there was neither any illegality nor any irregularity in the deal, he said the land in question did not belong to the government when she bought it.
“All other matters, if any, will be brought to light during inquiry and the law shall take its course. The Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru urban and the revenue department are looking into the matter on the instructions of the Chief Minister," he added.
Going into the history of the property, Mr Jadhav said the land in survey number 29 of Ramanayakanahalli was granted to the owners in 1977-78 and was bought after the expiry of the 15- year period of the non-alienation clause.
“The revenue authorities gave an endorsement in July 2002 saying the land belonged to the general category,” he recalled, claiming that his mother bought the land from the proceeds of the sale of agriculture land in survey numbers 77, 78, 80, 81 in Hegganahalli , Devanahalli taluk.
“Subsequent to the purchase, applications were made a number of times for completing and fixing the survey boundaries as provided for in revenue laws. The exercise of seeking completion of phodi division and durasti (survey) in obtaining a new RTC is a regular feature. As a matter of fact it is part and parcel of the ongoing reforms of the revenue department. The efforts of the landowner to streamline the survey in revenue records as per the Land Revenue Act has taken over 14 years in the courts of the concerned ADLR and DDLR,” he added.
