HUBLI: Former Minister R.V. Deshpande has called upon the State Government to honour the Supreme Court judgment on the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) Project.

Addressing presspersons here on Friday, Mr. Deshpande said the Government could file a review petition on the order if it was possible.

Mr. Deshpande felt that if the legal options were closed, then the State Government should call the company concerned for talks and resolve the issue amicably in the interest of the development of the State.

Mr. Deshpande who was a Minister when the State Government headed by the then Chief Minister H.D. Deve Gowda signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Limited (NICE) with regard to the BMIC project, said because of the improper handling of the issue by the "inexperienced" Chief Minister and his coalition Government, a wrong message was being sent to industrialists.

Investors who had evinced interest in investing in Karnataka are having second thoughts because of the BMIC imbroglio, he claimed. According to a recent survey, Karnataka had moved down in the list of most preferred investment destinations, he said.

The former minister said the Chief Minister was desperate. "He says he will be Chief Minister for another 15 days and at the same time claims that his Government is safe. The Congress is not trying pull down the Government. They [Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular)] are driving the coalition government to the brink of collapse," Mr. Deshpande said.

On the Chief Minister's remarks about corruption in the Congress, Mr. Deshpande said: "If the Chief Minister has names of corrupt politicians, let him come out with details."

He urged Mr. Kumaraswamy to make the Government's stand on BMIC project clear. The coalition partners are in great confusion, and the Cabinet meeting had put off discussion on the issue, he said.

Mr. Deshpande alleged that the coalition government had failed to safeguard the interests of the people. Although the Government had been talking of farmers' right, it had not taken action for ensuring proper distribution of seeds to farmers, he said.

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