Cash reward for info on 'benami' land: CM

In a bid to unearth information on ‘benami’ lands, the ruling BJP, which is facing the heat over the alleged land scams, today said it would reward people who come forward with details on such properties.

Addressing a legislative party meeting here, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said, he is setting up a fund of Rs 5 crore in the budget for giving these cash rewards.

The budget session is to be held next month. “According to me, benami lands in Bangalore are valued at Rs 1 lakh crore,” Yeddyurappa said, adding, the government will confiscate such properties.

Advertisements would be put out in newspapers asking people to share information on ‘benami’ lands. The value of the reward would be proportionate to the value of the property that they helped in identifying and confiscate. Names of these whistle-blowers will not be disclosed and they will be rewarded in cash, he said.

Yeddyurappa said thousands of acres of ‘benami’ land in Bangalore are held by politicians and others who are now waiting to sell them once the real estate prices go up.

“My desire is to present my last budget (fifth year of the government) of the size of Rs 1 lakh crore. If we are able to get another Rs 1 lakh crore (by way of confiscating benami land), we would actually be able to make Bangalore and Karnataka a ‘nandananvana’ (prosperous land).” Yeddyurappa said his government would come out with a booklet detailing the alleged scams during the tenure of S M Krishna (Cong) and H D Kumaraswamy (JD-S) as Chief Ministers and send it to all Parliament members.

He also challenged the Congress and the Opposition for an open three-day debate on various charges in the presence of 2,000-3,000 statesmen, experts and people keen on the state’s development.

A ‘benami’ land is transferred or registered in the name of a person but the consideration is paid by another.