|| Diwali gift turns into betrayal for Bengaluru residents; ₹15,000 crore extortion under the guise of A-Khata conversion ||

|| Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleges Congress Government of looting citizens ||

|| Accuses them of extorting ₹4–8 lakh for 30×40 plots ||

Bengaluru Express

Mandya: Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy directly accused the State Government of looting Bengaluru residents in the name of a Diwali gift. He alleged that under the pretext of A-Khata conversion, the government is extorting ₹15,000 crore.

He was addressing the media after inaugurating the newly built modern auto stand at Sanjay Circle in Mandya city.

“People thought a Diwali gift would bring them real relief. Seeing the big advertisements, even I believed it. But in reality, it has turned out to be a betrayal of the people in the name of Diwali,” he alleged.

Kumaraswamy said Bengaluru residents are being “gifted” a shock instead. To convert from B-Khata to A-Khata, people are required to pay an application fee of ₹500. In the name of this fee alone, the government is extorting hundreds of crores. For a 30×40 plot, they are charging between ₹4 to 8 lakh. Earlier, residents had to pay only ₹10,000–13,000. Now, they are being forced to pay in lakhs. Through this A-Khata scam, the State Government is looting ₹15,000 crore, he alleged.

“Is this what it means to improve people’s lives under the so-called guarantees? By burdening citizens with new levies, they are trying to bring in a sixth guarantee. Since this government came to power, it has been indulging in extorting from citizens. Its only focus is on making money at every opportunity,” he criticised.

“This government has no money. That is why it is dipping its hand into every pocket it can find. Forget filling Bengaluru’s potholes, they cannot even fill the potholes across the state,” he lashed out. “The Chief Minister asks what JDS’ contribution is. A senior Congress leader came to Delhi recently to inquire about my health and himself admitted that works under the ₹500 crore grant given in 2018 are still ongoing. Let the Chief Minister, who speaks of grants, place the records before the people, how much I gave when I was in power, and how much they have given,” Kumaraswamy challenged.

Inauguration of Auto Stand:

On this occasion, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also inaugurated a modern auto stand constructed at a cost of ₹35 lakh at Sanjay Circle in Mandya.

He stated: “This auto stand was built from the MP development funds of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and myself. It is a modern, spacious facility that will greatly benefit auto drivers and passengers. The demand for such a stand had been long pending, and we are glad to have fulfilled it in a short time.”

He added that auto drivers, who provide vital services for public mobility, had long struggled in rain and heat without proper shelter. “They had requested a proper stand, and we acted immediately. The work was taken up with the MP funds of both myself and Deve Gowda. I extend my thanks to Deve Gowda for supporting this,” he said.

Former Minister C.S. Puttaraju, District JDS President Ramesh, MLC Vivekananda, JD(S) leader Ramachandra, City Municipal President Prakash, and others were present.

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