Has Ghulam Nabi Azad misled RS over Metro?

Has Ghulam Nabi Azad misled RS over Metro?
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Even as the Karnataka government received a concrete proposal from the Kencana Kasifa Transit System (KKTS)-led Malaysian consortium to implement the proposed Bangalore Metro rail project, Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday that KKTS had not made any such proposal or offered to fund the project and implement it on build-own-operate and transfer basis.

In reply to a question by K B Krishnamurthy (Cong), Azad had said that while the Planning Commission had only given in-principle approval to the project which is under the consideration of the Public Investment Board, the Government had not given the clearance as yet. He categorically stated that KKTS had not given any concrete proposal to the State Government.

However, KKTS, in a letter addressed to Azad on Tuesday, stated that the Bangalore Mass Rapid Transit Limited (BMRTL) Managing Director had mislead the government on this issue.

The firm has claimed that it was interested in making investment in the Indian infrastructure sector and is also keen on implementing the proposed Metro project on BOT basis.

Interestingly, the then chairman of the BMRTL Umesh Bhat, also in a letter to Chief Minister Dharam Singh on Sept 23, 2004, had stated that the KKTS had requested the Government to issue a letter to prepare a detailed feasibility report for the proposed transit system.

He also brought to the government’s notice that the Malaysian consortium was willing to fund 90 per cent to build a transit system as an alternate proposal to the project proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

Umesh Bhat had also recommended that the KKTS-led consortium be given an opportunity to prepare a detailed report on the clear understanding that the letter of intent so issued should not be construed either as an acceptance of the government of their project proposal.