BJP not for takeover of entire BMIC project

BJP not for takeover of entire BMIC project: Venkaiah Naidu

The Hindu

Party wants excess land returned to farmers

Controversy won't affect stability of government: Naidu Coordination committee to discuss the subject NICE advised not to politicise issue



Bangalore: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday accused the governments that came to power after H.D. Deve Gowda relinquished office as Chief Minister with changing the scope of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project.

Speaking to presspersons at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa here after a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party, Mr. Naidu said though the project was conceived during the tenure of Mr. Deve Gowda, the governments led by the late J.H. Patel and S.M. Krishna extended support to it. These governments had signed agreements that had changed the original concept of the project, he said.

`No option'

Although the BJP opposed the project in the beginning, it had no option now but to allow it to be completed following the Supreme Court judgment directing that the project be allowed to go ahead as originally conceived. However, the party was in favour of returning the excess land to the farmers. Mr. Naidu advised Ashok Kheny, Managing Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise, which is promoting the project, to desist from politicising the issue and concentrate on completing the project.

The Janata Dal (S), he said, had explained its stand on the BMIC project. He and Mr. Yediyurappa maintained that the controversy over the project would not in any way affect the stability of the coalition government.

Mr. Yediyurappa, who chaired the Legislature Party meeting, said the JD(S)-BJP coordination committee would meet within the next four days and discuss, among other things, the controversy over the BMIC project.

According to sources in the BJP, the legislators who attended the Legislature Party meeting were of the opinion that they should not support the JD(S) in taking over the BMIC project. Such a move would damage the reputation of the party and might draw the ire of the Supreme Court for ignoring its orders. The MLAs, sources said, also told the leadership that any move to take over the project would upset investors and adversely impact future projects. The Government should concentrate on encouraging the development of infrastructure in the State, they said.