The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BJP leaders may demand panel on BMIC project

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP leaders may demand panel on BMIC project

Staff Reporter

Ministers have decided to support the Chief Minister on takeover of `excess land'

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING: BJP leaders at a meeting on the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to propose that a high-powered committee comprising its leaders and those of the Janata Dal (Secular) be set up to go into questions and controversies related to the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project.

However, a meeting of BJP Ministers at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa on Tuesday decided to support Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on the issue of legislation to retrieve "excess land" to the extent of 2,450 acres from the BMIC project promoter, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd.

BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda told presspersons after the meeting that the protection of farmers' interests was paramount, and that was what prompted the decision to support the proposal to enact a law to reclaim "excess land".

The proposed committee would go into legal means to reclaim "excess land" without attracting the ire of the Supreme Court, which has chastised the State Government more than once, and imposed a fine of Rs. 5 lakh on it for creating obstacles to the project.

Mr. Sadananda Gowda said the BJP would unconditionally support any move by Mr. Kumaraswamy to take over the BMIC project if it was found necessary to protect the State's interests.

`People's interest'

Mr. Yediyurappa said there was no difference of opinion within the party, and the BJP placed the interest of the people, especially farmers, above other matters. Ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu, R. Ashok, V.S. Acharya and D.H. Shankaramurthy attended the meeting

BJP sources told The Hindu that the national leadership of the party, which had initially been irked by the developments and had considered plans to quit the coalition if a Bill was introduced, had now decided to play along. Tawarchand Gehlot, general secretary in charge of the party in Karnataka, is expected to visit Bangalore soon, to discuss a strategy and push for setting up the committee.

A fear of another round of reprimand from the Supreme Court, which would reflect poorly on the coalition Government, had prompted the initial plan to quit the coalition, sources said. The committee would ensure that all legal aspects were addressed, and the chances of attracting the apex court's ire were minimised.

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