Mysuru, June 5 - During Siddaramaiah Government’s three-year tenure, the Urban Development portfolio was held by his close aide Byrathi Suresh. Now, the same portfolio has been entrusted to Siddaramaiah’s son, Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
The decision has drawn attention in public and political circles, particularly against the backdrop of the large-scale site-allotment controversy involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), now renamed as Mysuru Development Authority (MDA).
The issue gained prominence after allegations surfaced that Siddaramaiah’s family had benefited from 14 prime sites from the alternative site allocations under the 50:50 scheme.
At the time, the then Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh had flown in by helicopter to chair a review meeting, dismissing the allegations as baseless.
Opposition BJP leaders, however, alleged that Suresh had taken away many files from the MUDA office to cover up irregularities. As the controversy escalated and investigations probed alleged irregularities running into thousands of crores of rupees, Siddaramaiah’s family later returned the sites allotted to them.
Against this backdrop, the appointment of Dr. Yathindra as Urban Development Minister has triggered renewed debate in political circles.
