Political rivalry affected BMIC project, says Kheny

Political rivalry affected BMIC project, says Kheny
VIJAY TIMES NEWS

Mysore: Managing director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ashok Kheny has claimed that political rivalry between former Chief Minister S M Krishna and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had hit the ambitious Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project.

Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, Kheny alleged that during S M Krishnas tenure as Chief Minister, 26 bureaucrats who had benami lands along the project route approached him, seeking the change in route, which he declined.

Later, they met the Chief Minister and lied to him that Gowda and Kumaraswamy were partnering with him in the deal. The same people went to Deve Gowda and reversed the lie, saying that Krishna, former Ministers D K Shivakumar, R V Deshpande and B S Patil were his partners, which actually kicked off the trouble.

None of the leaders seemed to be convinced with his words in this regard. Krishna had held only two meetings with him during in his tenure, he said. Pro-people steps irked govt Kheny claimed that he wanted to initiate certain programmes to help the people in 149 villages connected with the project. This irked the government. He had contemplated to rehabilitate villagers living in huts, besides construct temples, provide water supply, set up sewage treatment plant and education. All this did not go down well with the government.

Some vested interests are trying to stall the works as there is a real estate and IT boom in the region.

Although the Supreme Court had ruled that the excess land issue was a politically motivated and personal gain-oriented matter, confusion still prevails in the JDS, which initially said there was an excess of 2460 acres and the figure is now brought down to 1264 acres, he said.

The government is encouraging foreign investors from Malasyia, Singapore and other countries, instead of domestic players. Infosys had expanded its operations in Chennai and in the process the State has lost an opportunity to create more jobs.