UB Group seeks reimbursement of costs for ELRTS plan

UB Group seeks reimbursement of costs for ELRTS plan

The Hindu

BANGALORE: The UB Group has sought reimbursement of costs from the State Government, blaming it for the abandoned Elevated Light Rail Transit System (ELRTS) that was sought to be promoted by a UB-led consortium.

UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya alleged that the project was abandoned during the previous S.M. Krishna regime after the State Government failed to come up with its share of the equity and guarantees.

"We have written to the State Government asking for reimbursement of all costs and expenses because we are extremely clear that the project was abandoned certainly not at our instance or initiative. We tried everything that was logically possible," Mr. Mallya told reporters after the annual general meeting of United Breweries Ltd. here.

The company is seeking a certain cost from the Government for futile pursuit of the project, but Mr. Mallya declined to quantify the amount. "My office would know," he said when asked about the cost.

Mr. Mallya said the UB consortium had evinced keen interest in taking up the project to ease traffic congestion in Bangalore and waited indefinitely for the Government to make up its mind. He said UB would not be interested in taking up an ELRTS project again since the cost and route have undergone drastic changes and it would not be an easy task to cobble together an international consortium to implement the project.