Days after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah decides to return a MUDA land, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and his family have chosen to return five acres of land allocated to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, owned by the Kharge family, in the midst of an ongoing investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allocation scandal.

Originally, the land was granted to Kharge’s son, Rahul M Kharge, in the Hardware Sector of the Hi-Tech Defence and Aerospace Park in Bagalur by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

The five-acre plot is part of a 45.94-acre area designated for the Hi-Tech Defence Aerospace Park by the KIADB.

Meanwhile, Minister Priyank Kharge shared a letter on Sunday on X and said, “On Sep 20, 2024, the Trust has sought the cancellation of the CA site that has allotted for Skill Development.” However, he reiterated that Siddhartha Vihar Trust is a public educational, cultural, and charitable trust. He added that it is not a private or family trust, but “All institutions established are “Not For Profit”.

Furthermore, he said being a charitable trust, none of the trustees can benefit directly or indirectly from the trust’s assets and income. The Karnataka Minister said the main reason the trust wanted to set up a skill development and research centre in an industrial area was to provide industrial exposure to the students.

He further said that only an allotment letter was issued and the lease deed was not executed. The trust has not requested or received any subsidy, financial support or reduced rate of allotment for the allotted CA site, he added.

“The trust was fully eligible to apply for and receive an allotment of a CA site for an educational institution. However, any educational institution cannot function effectively while constantly facing malafide, baseless and politically motivated allegations. The trust did not wish to be drawn into long-drawn controversies which will divert attention and efforts from the primary objective of education and social service,” Priyank said.

In his letter, he said, “In light of the circumstances, the Trust wrote to the KIADB to withdrew our proposal and withdrew our request for a CA site for establishing a skill development and research centre on 20-09-2024.”

The Minister said, “The trust has been informed by the KIADB that the allotment has been cancelled by their letter dated 27-09-2024 ——— It is most unfortunate that despite the Chairman being fully qualified for the site, BJP chose to pick on him for their petty politics.”

Hitting out at the saffron party, he said a person who can’t hold a bat can become Chairman of ICC or BCCI, but a person who was conferred Agni Award from DRDO for Excellence in Self Reliance can’t build a skill development center for the youth.

The controversy arose in March 2024, when the Congress-led Karnataka government awarded the land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, headed by Rahul Kharge. The land was allocated to the trust under the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota. Several members of the Kharge family, including Mallikarjun Kharge, his son-in-law and Kalaburagi MP Radhakrishna, and Rahul Kharge, serve as trustees.

Activist Dinesh Kallahalli had filed a complaint with Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, alleging irregularities in the land allotment process and sought permission to prosecute Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil through the state Lokayukta.

Minister Patil denied any wrongdoing, asserting that Rahul Kharge was a “qualified applicant” and that the allotment was made transparently through a single-window approval process.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya brought the allotment to light, stating that a trust (Siddhartha Vihara Trust) managed by Mallikarjun Kharge’s family had been allocated 5 acres of KIADB land meant for civic amenities under the SC quota.

Day after the murder of veteran leader Baba Siddique, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said police have found some leads in connection with the killing of NCP leader and former State Minister.

Various aspects of the murder are under investigation, but Fadnavis, who has authority over the state home department, informed reporters in Gondia district that the police will disclose more details later.

Siddique (66), a member of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, was ambushed by three individuals in Mumbai’s Bandra area and tragically shot outside his son’s office on Saturday night.

He succumbed to his injuries at Lilavati Hospital. Fadnavis expressed his shock over the incident, stating, “Baba Siddique was very close to me, and we had worked together for years.”

While some leads have been obtained, Fadnavis refrained from revealing them, emphasising that the police will share information once the legal process is concluded.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has criticised the state government, calling for accountability and the resignation of those in power.

In response to Pawar’s comments, Fadnavis remarked, “He is solely focused on seizing power, even in the face of such grave incidents. His intentions are driven by power, whereas we are committed to the progress and safety of Maharashtra.”

A Mumbai police official today said that they have come to know about a viral social media post linked to an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claiming responsibility for Siddique’s murder.

Regarding this, the official stated, “We are in the process of verifying the authenticity of the viral social media post.” The murder is being investigated from various angles, including the possibility of a planned assassination, business rivalry, or threats related to a slum rehabilitation project.

The BJP has vowed not to spare those responsible for the killing and condemned Opposition parties for engaging in “petty politics” regarding the crime.

Additionally, BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain assured that the Maharashtra Police will pursue all involved in Siddique’s murder and criticised Opposition leaders for politicising the issue insensitively.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and said it has emerged as a transformative initiative aimed at revolutionising India’s infrastructure by boosting multimodal connectivity, driving job creation, and improving logistics for Viksit Bharat.

In a post on X, PM Modi said the seamless integration of various stakeholders has led to boosting logistics, reducing delays and creating new opportunities for several people.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the initiative is transforming the infrastructure of the country driving progress, entrepreneurship and innovation.

“PM  GatiShakti National Master Plan has emerged as a transformative initiative aimed at revolutionizing India’s infrastructure. It has significantly enhanced multimodal connectivity, driving faster and more efficient development across sectors,” he said.

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) was launched on October 13, 2021, to provide multi-modal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones.

PM GatiShakti is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development which is driven by seven engines – railway, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport and logistics infrastructure.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in its release on Saturday, highlighted the international outreach of the PM GatiShakti initiative. It said the diplomatic engagements are underway with countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Senegal, and Gambia to promote the utilisation of PM GatiShakti and geospatial technology in integrated infrastructure planning.

Furthermore, the government is contemplating granting access to non-governmental users to non-sensitive and shareable data relevant to infrastructure planning and development activities, ensuring the utmost security.

Regarding the accomplishments of the PM GatiShakti initiative in the past three years, the release pointed out that PM GatiShakti has successfully established the foundation for multi-modal connectivity and enhanced economic growth by fostering synergy among ministries, states, and union territories.

In three years, the initiative has integrated 44 central ministries and 36 states/union territories, incorporating over 1600 data layers, making it an indispensable tool for infrastructure project planning and execution.

Additionally, the release mentioned that more than 200 major infrastructure projects have been assessed by the Networking Planning Group (NPG) based on the principles of PM GatiShakti.

Moreover, the release emphasised that all 36 states and union territories have developed PM GatiShakti National Master Plan portals in alignment with the PM GatiShakti platform to synchronize infrastructure assets and bolster regional development.

This unified approach has facilitated the streamlining of capital investment by states for expediting infrastructure development, with over 533 projects being mapped on the PM GatiShakti portal.

Acknowledging the alignment with the National Logistics Policy (NLP), the release highlighted the role of PM GatiShakti in addressing crucial infrastructure gaps, reducing logistics costs, and enhancing India’s logistics performance.