Mandya (Karnataka), Oct 16 : Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday said that the Congress-led government in Karnataka has put its hands into the pockets of Bengaluru citizens under the guise of giving them a Diwali gift, and alleged that it was extorting Rs 15,000 crore in the name of A-Khata.

Speaking to the media at Raitha Bhavan in Mandya, after inaugurating a newly built modern auto stand at Sanjay Circle, he launched a scathing attack on the government.

'When they said Diwali gift, people thought the government would give them a big benefit. Looking at the huge advertisements, even I thought so. But in reality, it has turned out to be a great scam in the name of Diwali,' Kumaraswamy said.

'Instead of giving a Diwali gift, they are giving a shock to the people of Bengaluru. How? An application fee of Rs 500 has to be paid to convert from B-Khata to A-Khata. In the name of this fee, the government is extorting hundreds of crores. For a 30x40 site, people are being forced to pay between Rs 4 to 8 lakh. Earlier, Bengaluru citizens had to pay only Rs 10,000 to Rs 13,000. Now, they are forced to pay lakhs. Through this A-Khata racket, the state government is collecting Rs 15,000 crore,' he charged.

'Is this what you mean by making people's lives better through guarantees? You are imposing taxes on people just to give a so-called sixth guarantee. Ever since this government came to power, it has been continuously looting. The only focus is on making money in every possible way,' Kumaraswamy said.

'This government has no money. That's why it is dipping into funds wherever it can. Forget about filling potholes in Bengaluru, they are not able to fix the potholes across the state,' the minister said.

He added, 'The CM in Hassan asked what the JD(S)'s contribution was. A senior Congress leader had come to Delhi to inquire about my health. That leader himself told me that even today, work is still ongoing with the Rs 500 crore grant given in 2018. The CM, who talks about grants, should place records before the people -- how much I gave when I was in power, and how much they have given. Let them show it to the public,' Kumaraswamy challenged.

Kumaraswamy, while inaugurating the auto stand built for Rs 35 lakh, said, 'This auto stand has been built with funds from the MP Local Area Development Fund of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and my own MPLADS fund. It is a modern, spacious facility that will benefit auto drivers as well as passengers. There had been a long-standing demand for such a stand. That demand has now been fulfilled. The construction was completed in a short period,' he said.

'In this city, auto services are very important for public transport. But drivers were struggling in the rain and heat. They had requested a proper stand. We immediately acted on it. With the grants of Deve Gowda and me, this project was undertaken. I thank Deve Gowda for contributing his fund,' Kumaraswamy added.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday announced a 100-day campaign from November 1 to convert B Khatas to A Khatas in the area falling under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). He described this as the sixth guarantee by the state government.

'The state government has taken a historic decision to convert B-Khatas to A-Khatas. This scheme will benefit 15 lakh property owners in Bengaluru. This is a revolutionary scheme and will clean up the property market,' the Dy CM said after inaugurating the online system for conversion of B-Khata to A-Khata at Vidhana Soudha.

'Properties up to 2,000 square meters come under the new scheme. CAD drawings and other documents need to be issued to all the properties which are converting to A-Khata. The campaign will go on for 100 days from November 1. The corporation officials will come to the doorstep and offer conversion services if the owner of the property registers for conversion online by paying a registration fee of Rs 500,' he said.

The B-Khata site refers to a property listed in the B register of the municipal authority and does not fully comply with bylaws or lacks proper documentation. The A-Khata site is fully legal and complies with regulations. The conversion process is designed to make legal ownership clearer, improve property valuation, and facilitate smoother real estate transactions. The scheme applies only to individual plots.

/IANS