‘Deve Gowda has been wrongly briefed’

‘Deve Gowda has been wrongly briefed’


Financial Express

M Veerappa Moily, chief minister of Karnataka from 1992-94, had conceived the Bangalore international airport project and got the initial spadework done. Now, chairing the National Administrative Reforms Commission, he told FE the Gowda-Murthy spat is unfortunate and it is imperative that the ruffled feathers be soothed. Excerpts:

What is your comment on the controversy?

The entire thing is most unfortunate. Things cannot be allowed to go on like this. I have particular interest: I conceived the project when I was CM. I had started an Electronics City project at Yelahanka, which is also where Narayana Murthy’s Infosys began growing — that one place generates Rs 25,000 crore of software exports today. Multi-national companies had come to inquire and I had also gone to Silicon Valley in the US; everyone said the same thing, that a world-class airport is an absolute necessity, if Bangalore has to be a global hub for IT and commerce....

We had set up a committee, where government of India officials were also involved...we agreed on the idea of a joint venture with private parties, we surveyed various sites, finally chose the present one, at Devanahalli, acquired around 1,500 acre and also called global tenders. We got bids, the Tata-Rayth-eon one being the best. I was ready to sign it: if I had, the delay and present set of controversies would never have happened. But then, Seshan (former CEC) announced elections two months earlier...I left the decision for the next government. And you know what happened...Deve Gowda won and became CM.

And then?

For some reason, he disliked the project.... Then he became Prime Minister. Naturally, the project went nowhere. Even after he stepped down, it was his party’s government in power...nothing moved till we (in the Congress) returned in 1999. The whole thing had to be renewed all over...

Is Narayana Murthy at fault?

The actual problem is between Deve Gowda and SM Krishna (the earlier CM). Deve Gowda has been wrongly briefed. Narayana Murthy has been chairman (of the airport project board) since 2000; he has put in so much work. He enjoys the highest credibility in our country and abroad....What is the point of blaming him on land acquisition for Infosys? That land was allotted by the present government....

What is the way out now?

I have already told Sonia Gandhiji there should be a joint coordination committee to sort out the differences between the coalition partners— we are still getting used to a coalition culture there....

Can Mr Murthy be made to withdraw his resignation?

Very much so. He has already done so much work on this. To quit now mid-way and just because of one person’s remarks...I’m sure he will himself see this is not right.