Karnataka   

Coalition Government in crisis; differences crop up over BMIC

S. Rajendran and A. Jayaram

Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister attempt to save Government

Bangalore: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Janata Dal (S) coalition Government in the State was plunged into a crisis on Tuesday over the move to scuttle the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project being taken up by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE). Reports have it that the two coalition partners are not seeing eye-to-eye on the issue even as farmers, who have lost their lands, damaged a few stretches of the expressway to be inaugurated on June 16.

However, sources in the two parties have maintained that there is no threat to the four-month-old Government. The nub of the issue is that while the BJP agrees with the Janata Dal (S) that about 2,400 acres of excess land handed over to NICE be recovered by the Government, it is against any move to scuttle the project through legislation covering all land intensive development and infrastructure projects.

The differences between the two came to the fore as there was an inordinate delay in the holding of a meeting of the Cabinet to discuss the issue convened in the afternoon.

Sources in the Janata Dal (S) and the BJP told The Hindu that their parties were firm that their Ministers concerned in the Government should strictly adhere to the party stand. The differences between the two parties, which were described as serious in nature, had been kept under wraps as they could have an impact on the Government.

A top Janata Dal (S) leader said the party would not budge from its stand and that the Government should take possession of excess land made over to NICE.

It is said that while the Public Works Department has stated that nearly 2,500 acres of additional land along the peripheral road to be constructed by NICE is in "excess", NICE has said that it was not in possession of any such land and that the Government should allot it 20,193 acres of land for the project as directed by the High Court of Karnataka and the Supreme Court.

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