BIA: ‘report was tabled in a hasty manner’

BIA: ‘report was tabled in a hasty manner’

Special Correspondent
Government says report can’t be withdrawn

Only eight members have signed the report: Shivakumar

Bangalore: Former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, a member of the Joint Legislature Committee (JLC), on Wednesday took exception to some of the recommendations of the panel’s report on “Examination of Construction of Bengaluru International Airport (BIA),” and demanded its withdrawal. The report was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

The JLC, headed by BJP MLA D. Hemachandra Sagar, had unearthed several lapses in the construction of the greenfield BIA. The panel was constituted in September last year after several members alleged that the infrastructure created at the airport did not match international standards.

Mr. Shivakumar alleged that the BIA lacked very basic facilities. The JLC was constituted to examine the lapses and suggest measures for improving the airport, which became operational in May, 2008, to international standards.

Raising the issue in the House, Mr. Shivakumar stated that the panel’s recommendation to the Government taking “appropriate action against Infosys chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy, who was chairman of BIAL, till 2005, and other government officials would not raise the reputation to the State. He said the panel period had been extended till December 31, 2009. But Dr. Sagar had tabled the report in a hasty manner. A few remarks made in the report were not unanimous, and there was a need to relook into the observations made in the report and submit one afresh. Only eight members of the panel had signed the report, he said.

The BIAL which had received criticism from the public as well as elected representatives for its poor execution had given an undertaking to correct all shortcomings during its expansion phase in the next two years.

Intervening, Law and Parliamentary Minister S Suresh Kumar said that as the committee had submitted its report there was no way it could be