A day after Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy dubbed the Khata conversion scheme launched in Bengaluru city limits as an ‘extortion scheme’, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar slammed the Janata Dal (Secular) leader.
Responding to media queries on Sunday, Shivakumar said that the scheme was only meant to regularise sites and was not a move to regularise unauthorised construction. “Kumaraswamy is not educated. He does not have basic common sense,” he said.
Blaming the BJP government between 2008-2013 for issuing B-Khatas, he said that the Congress government introduced the conversion scheme to help people. “To give a guarantee to those people (who have B-Khatas), what will you do? So many of them have houses. We are giving all facilities to them,” he said, defending the scheme launched earlier this month.
Under the scheme launched in the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits, people who have B-Khata sites can get them converted to A-Khata by applying online and submitting the required documents. The applicants will have to pay five per cent of the guidance value of the land to the government to regularise the sites.
“I am asking him (Kumaraswamy) to come for a debate. He is not coming,” Shivakumar said, accusing Kumaraswamy of shying away from a public debate over the issue.
At a news conference held on Saturday, the Union minister had described the conversion scheme as “nothing but an extortion scheme designed to loot money,” and asked residents of Bengaluru not to pay money for Khata conversion.
With the conversion scheme expected to last only for 100 days, after which the government is likely to increase the conversion fee, Kumaraswamy had asked the residents of the city not to panic. “In two years, when our alliance government comes, we will ensure Khata conversion in the simplest and easiest manner, without any financial burden on you. Already, people are struggling to repay loans on property. Do not once again borrow lakhs of rupees just to get an A Khata done. Do not fall into another debt trap,” he said, accusing the Congress government of charging exorbitant rates for Khata conversion.