A case of cheating and criminal conspiracy has been registered against him the Karnataka Housing Board allotment case.
FIR was filed under sections 420, 120 (b) and 13 (1) (d), according to reports.
The FIR assumes significance as it comes a day after BJP President Nitin Gadkari openly snubbed his efforts to reclaim the CM's chair.
In Bangalore, only two government agencies - the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Karnataka Housing Board ( KHB) - are authorised to form residential townships. Somanna is the chairman of the KHB, which comes under his ministry.
The KHB is setting up a residential township, Suryanagar, in south-west Bangalore.
Nearly 3.5 lakh people have applied for plots there.
On July 29, Somanna ordered the allotment of plots to 135 of his followers.
As the KHB chairman, the minister is empowered to allot 10 per cent of the residential plots in Suryanagar to select applicants - eminent personalities, who have contributed to society, such as young achievers, sportspersons, social workers, academicians etc - under a special category.
But such allotments have to be first approved by the KHB board meeting. The list of beneficiaries has to be then forwarded to the housing ministry for scrutiny.
Somanna, however, allegedly prepared the list of the 135 ben- eficiaries and sent it to the KHB commissioner. The list was forwarded to the ministry for approval without being placed before the KHB board.
The first list contained the names of 75 beneficiaries and the second contained 60 names.
According to KHB guidelines, allotments under special category cannot be made simultaneously.
"In any newly-formed township, 10 per cent of the plots are reserved for the special category. The plots are allotted on a case- to- case basis after evaluating the applicants' claims. But in this case, the plots under the special category are being allotted in bulk in violation of the rules," a source in the KHB said.
Somanna said he was tired of giving explanations to his detractors. "These charges are being made by vested interests, who are unhappy with my political growth. I have not committed anything wrong. All decisions have been taken according to rules," he added.
The Opposition, however, wants him sacked. "Somanna should not continue as a minister. He is involved in many scams. The CM should sack him immediately," Congress leader Siddaramaiah said. SOURCES : IBN LIVE
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