Revenue dept tasks Mysuru, Mandya DCs to probe allegations against Mahesh

Mysuru: The revenue department has revoked its earlier order tasking Munish Moudgil, commissioner of survey, settlement and land records, to probe allegations of encroachment levelled against former minister and senior JD(S) MLA S R Mahesh. The responsibility of surveying the land, allegedly encroached upon, has now been entrusted to the deputy commissioners of Mysuru and Mandya.The two DCs can choose the officials they deem fit for the job, and submit a report.
Both Mahesh and Mysuru district minister S T Somashekar had opposed Moudgil probing the allegations. However, Moudgil had pointed out that Mysuru regional commissioner (RC) C G Prakash had failed to probe all charges levelled against Mahesh, and had focussed only on the encroached land at a convention centre owned by the former minister’s family members.
Mysuru DC Bagadi Gautham has been asked to look into allegations of encroachment of survey numbers on Keragalli, Yadahalli, Dattagalli and Kasaba in Mysuru, while his Mandya counterpart will probe allegations of encroachment in Belagola.
According to an order issued by deputy secretary of revenue department, M E Channabasavaraju, the DCs have been asked to lead the probe team and submit a report of their investigation in three weeks. They have been authorised to get necessary documents from all government agencies.
Acting on a complaint filed by Gangaraju, a committee was constituted by the commissioner of survey, settlement and land records to probe the allegations. Deputy director of land records, Mandya B G Umesh, Sujay Kumar and Lohith TK, his counterparts from Tumakuru and Davanagere districts respectively, were the other members of the committee. The committee has now been dissolved.
Moudgil’s decision to order a probe into the allegations had stirred up a controversy with Somashekar and Mahesh questioning the bureaucrat’s authority to pass such a diktat. However, MLC and senior BJP leader Adagooru H Vishwanath had defended Moudgil.
“I am not against the probe itself. But Munish Moudgil has no authority to order such an inquiry. That was why I opposed it. The DC is the custodian of government property, not the commissioner of land records,” Mahesh told TOI.