‘BMP sent Rs 3,000 cr down the drain’

‘BMP sent Rs 3,000 cr down the drain’
Deccan Herald

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has raked up another controversy, alleging that some Rs 3,000 crore spent by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), purportedly for the desilting of tanks, lakes and drains in and around Bangalore, has gone down the drain.


Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has raked up another controversy, alleging that some Rs 3,000 crore spent by the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), purportedly for the desilting of tanks, lakes and drains in and around Bangalore, has gone down the drain. He has brought this to the notice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a letter, a 48-page booklet, dated November 22.

“You may even be shocked to hear that money has been shown to have been spent even without estimates,” he said, in his latest series of allegations of official corruption. He further alleged that the BDA and the BMP had demolished his “visions” and “concepts” after he went to Delhi.

Mr Gowda also urged the prime minister to sanction Rs 5,000 crore for the implementation of an “Integrated Comprehensive Development Plan” (ICDP) to upgrade infrastructure in greater Bangalore — comprising the areas under the BMP and seven City Municipal Councils.

He said such a step would make Bangalore a “model and vibrant city”. If need be, the ICDP could be finalised by international experts after studying traffic patterns, land use, industrial activity and the growth of the IT industry, he suggested.

Mr Gowda said the previous government had dropped the ELRTS project which was being pursued by his government. He reiterated that he was concerned over the financial and technical viability of the metro rail project. He suggested that a commuter rail system which links the outskirts with the City be integrated with the ELRTS/mono/metro rail system as well as the bus transport system to decongest the roads in Bangalore. For this, he called for rationalising of the bus transport system to provide feeder route services.

Mr Gowda argued that it was not correct to compare Bangalore’s proposed metro rail system with Delhi’s in which the Centre has subsidised the cost of travel. He said he had no reservations regarding the metro rail system if the Centre was ready to share the financial burden.

Alleging that certain individuals and the media have launched a misinformation campaign to paint him as the person opposed to the development of Bangalore, Mr Gowda said, “Though I am neither a sophisticated politician nor a visionary, I have a clear concept of my own not only to protect Bangalore, but also to develop Bangalore as a model and dynamic city.” He listed various steps initiated by him for the development of Bangalore right from his days as PWD and energy minister in Karnataka.

Mr Gowda even claimed that his contributions to the IT sector were responsible for the City getting the tag of India’s “Silicon Valley”. Without mentioning the name former chief minister S M Krishna, the former prime minister said Bangalore’s name and fame were not of recent origin. Great visionaries like Sir M Visvesvaraya, Dr C V Raman and Dr Satish Dhawan visualised the growth and character of the City.

JD(S) sources said copies of Mr Gowda’s letter to the prime minister would be sent to intellectuals and prominent personalities.