After saying no for airport foundation, PM invited for Vikasa Soudha now

After saying no for airport foundation, PM invited for Vikasa Soudha now
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Unmindful of Prime Minster Manmohan Singh's outright rejection to lay the foundation stone for Bangalore international airport for the second time (former PM A B Vajpayee laid the stone in 2002), the coalition government has again invited the PM to inaugurate Vikasa Soudha which was earlier inaugurated by the Governor T N Chaturvedi on Feb. 5, 2004.

According to sources in the State secretariat, the government has already written a letter to Prime Minister's Office (PMO) requesting PM Manmohan Singh to inaugurate Vikasa Soudha on Dr. B R Ambedkar Jayanthi on April 14.

The decision of the government to invite the PM comes within weeks after he refused to lay the foundation stone for Bangalore International Airport. He was scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the internatinal airport on Jan. 11.

According to sources, PM who visited the State for the first time after assuming office, cancelled the programme to lay the foundation stone in the last minute after he came to know that former PM Atal Behari Vajapayee had laid the foundation stone and then Chief Minister S M Krishna had done the earth breaking ceremony for the international airport.

But the State government covered up the issue and said that PM had to cancel the foundation laying ceremony due to code of conduct in the wake of elections to Grama Panchayats.

Now it has to be seen whether Singh will respond to the State's request to inaugurate Vikasa Soudha which was earlier inaugurated by the governor. Soon after Parliamentary elections were declared in Feb. 2004, Krishna government had inaugurated incomplete Vikasa Soudha.

The remaining works of Vikasa Soudha are progressing at a snail's pace in the last nine months after coalition government came to power. The government has not even released sufficient funds for the completion of works which have come to a standstill now, the sources said. If the things did not change in the coming days, it is highly unlikely that works on Vikasa Soudha will be completed.

HIGHLIGHTS

S M Krishna proposed Vikasa Soudha in 2000-01 budget.

Technical Approval was given in 2001.

Original budget was Rs 100 crore, later revised to Rs 145 crore.

The seven floor Vikasa Soudha has three ground level cellars for vehicular parking besides four floors for office space for ministers and the secretariats of the concerned ministries.

Other features include modern interiors, 15 conference halls, interactive solar power, rain water harvesting, secret press among others.