Karnataka Housing Scheme Rocked by Corruption Allegations as MLA’s Audio Exposes Bribery Claims
A damaging audio clip has emerged featuring Karnataka Congress MLA BR Patil from Aland constituency alleging widespread corruption in the state’s Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation, where houses were reportedly allocated only to those who paid bribes while ignoring recommendations from elected representatives.
The leaked conversation, purportedly between Patil, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, and Sarfaraz Khan, personal assistant to Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, has sparked a major political controversy. The audio has gone viral and threatens to destabilize the Congress government in Karnataka.
In the explosive recording, Patil can be heard expressing outrage that his official recommendations for house allotments were systematically ignored in favor of those from Gram Panchayat presidents who allegedly paid bribes. “Whoever has paid money, got houses, is this business?” Patil questions angrily, demanding to know why corrupt practices took precedence over legitimate recommendations from elected officials.
The MLA specifically alleges that bribes were collected for the distribution of 950 houses across his Aland constituency, with corruption spanning multiple locations including 200 houses in Munnalli, 100 in Hittala Shirur, 200 in Dangapur, and 200 each in Kavalaga and Madiyal villages.
Most significantly, Patil warns that if the complete list of beneficiaries is made public, it would “shake” the government, suggesting the scandal’s reach extends far beyond his constituency. The threat indicates potential involvement of high-ranking officials and political figures in the corruption network.
In the audio, Khan is heard denying the allegations and promising that anyone found taking bribes would be sent to jail if evidence is provided. However, Patil’s accusations paint a picture of systematic corruption where merit and official recommendations were abandoned in favor of monetary considerations.
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the Congress government, which has faced previous allegations of irregularities in various schemes. Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan has previously been under scrutiny, with the Anti-Corruption Bureau conducting raids on his properties in 2022 over disproportionate assets allegations.
The Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation was established to provide affordable housing to economically weaker sections and low-income groups. If Patil’s allegations prove true, it would represent a betrayal of the scheme’s core purpose of helping society’s most vulnerable sections.
Opposition parties are likely to seize on the audio as evidence of the Congress government’s failure to maintain transparency in welfare schemes. The scandal also raises questions about the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms in government housing programs.
The state government has not yet issued an official response to the leaked audio, but the allegations are expected to trigger demands for a comprehensive investigation into the housing corporation’s operations across Karnataka.
