BMIC Controversy: Vijay Mallya finds fault with Kumarswamy

BMIC Controversy: Vijay Mallya finds fault with Kumarswamy
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Liquor baron and Rajya Sabha member Vijay Mallya on Friday slammed Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for unnecessarily creating a controversy over Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project being developed by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of the India Innovation Summit 2006, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) here, Mallya wondered why politicians across the country developed such an attitude towards developmental works.

Coming down heavily on Kumaraswamy and his father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda for raising objections against every major infrastructure project, Mallya advised them to concentrate on various burning issues being faced by the people. He asked Kumaraswamy to spend his time and energy for productive purposes, instead of targeting developers of infrastructure projects.

Mallya recalled that Gowda had earlier dubbed IT major Infosys Technologies as a real estate company and tried to tarnish its image and said such kind of remarks would not augur well for flow of investments and boosting the confidence of entrepreneurs.

Referring to reports that not even 15 per cent of the resources earmarked for development of rural areas and poverty alleviation was reaching the targeted sections, he told the Chief Minister to devote more time to address these problems.

If people at the helm of affairs succeeded in reducing government fund pilferage to about 40 to 50 per cent from the present 85 per cent, the scenario in the country would change for the better, he opined.