Special legislation to nullify pact with NICE abandoned

Special legislation to nullify pact with NICE abandoned
The Hindu

Chief Minister cites `certain constraints in a coalition set-up'

# Opposition begins indefinite dharna in Assembly
# Government urged to order CBI inquiry
# NICE dictating terms to Government, says Kumaraswamy

BANGALORE: The much-talked-about special legislation aimed at nullifying the agreement with Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise, which is executing the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, has been shelved.

Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy said in his reply in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday to the detailed discussion on the project that the Government preferred a judicial inquiry. There were certain constraints in a coalition set-up because of which the Government had shelved the proposal on the special legislation.

Plea for CBI probe

Earlier in the day, senior Congress member M. Mallikarjun Kharge made a forceful plea for special legislation and an investigation by the CBI. He mentioned that it was rather strange that the Janata Dal (Secular) was demanding action against the BMIC project now. The party's national president, H.D. Deve Gowda, could have taken appropriate action a long time ago when he was the Chief Minister and later Prime Minister. Making this demand now had raised suspicions.

The Chief Minister used the opportunity during his reply to hit back at several Congress leaders and some top officials (some of whom have retired) to drive home the point that but for the support extended by them to NICE, the company could not have gone as far as it did. "NICE is now dictating terms to the Government. We have to now look up to it to obtain a certification. This prompted the Janata Dal (Secular) to advertise in the newspapers."

All the members of the Opposition strongly reacted when the Chief Minister announced that the Government preferred a judicial inquiry. Led by Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh and Mr. Kharge, the Opposition members trooped into the well of the House to begin an indefinite dharna.

Mr. Singh, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the Chief Minister's reply, said the Government must clearly explain its stance on introducing a Bill in the legislature to decide the future of the BMIC project, reclaiming excess land handed over to NICE and the nature of the inquiry into the project.

The ruling parties had adopted different stands on the project and the Chief Minister had only been airing the views of the JD(S) and not those of the Government.

Mr. Kharge and R.V. Deshpande (Congress) said the Government should introduce a special legislation if it was serious in taking over the excess land allotted to NICE. The Government had a hidden agenda, and the Chief Minister was misleading the House by giving a vague reply, they charged. The judicial inquiry was a political stunt, they maintained.

Demand supported

J.C. Madhuswamy (JD-U), G.V. Srirama Reddy (CPI-M), Vatal Nagaraj (Kannada Chaluvali ), S. Rajendran (RPI) and K. Jayaprakash Hegde (independent) joined the Congress in demanding a CBI inquiry.

B.R. Patil, suspended JD(S) member who is now with the AIPJD, alleged that the coalition partners — the JD(S) and the BJP — had apparently reached a compromise on the project and were now misleading the House.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Congress members had adopted different stands in the two Houses of the legislature.

While Leader of the Opposition in the Council H.K. Patil had sought a judicial inquiry, Mr. Singh and others were demanding a CBI investigation.