Muda scam: Demand grows for relocation of judicial commission office to Mysuru

Mysuru: Amid the ongoing Lokayukta investigation into the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) scam, in which chief minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi are accused of obtaining sites illegally, activists are now demanding the relocation of the office of the Justice PN Desai Commission to Mysuru. This commission is tasked with investigating the alleged irregularities in Muda.
The office of the one-man judicial commission is currently operating from Bengaluru.The commission was formed on July 14 by the state govt. It is tasked with addressing various allegations made against the Muda authorities, including irregularities in site allotments. The commission has been given six months' time to submit its report.
The activists want the state govt to relocate the commission's office to Mysuru, which, according to them, will help them share documents and other information in their possession with the panel.
Common fear among the activists and the public is that vested interests may tweak the documents to get a clean chit from the commission. To avoid such a scenario, the commission must function from Mysuru city to enable whistleblowers to submit documents and share information, they urged the state govt.
According to Bhamy V Shenoy, founding president of Mysore Grahakara Vedike (MGP), the functioning of the commission is not known to the public until now. "There is no intimation or call to share documents regarding the scam. Most of us are not aware of the commission itself. The commission needs to involve all stakeholders to get the real picture of what is happening in Muda," he said.
"The commission must work from Mysuru in the best interest of Muda and the city. There is a need to bring greater transparency to Muda," he added.
Snehamayi Krishna, an activist who is one of the petitioners in the Muda scam, said if the commission continues to operate from Bengaluru, the public cannot share any details. "It is not possible to travel all the way to Bengaluru and submit documents. The commission needs to serve from Mysuru," he said.