The Hindu : Front Page : State defends setting up of probe panel

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Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
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State defends setting up of probe panel

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Karnataka Government has defended in the Supreme Court appointment of the Justice B.C. Patel Commission of Inquiry to look into the Rs. 2,250-crore Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (NICE).

In its response on Tuesday to a writ petition filed by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises challenging the appointment of the commission, Karnataka denied the allegation that it was trying to scuttle the project.

On Monday, senior counsel Dushyant Dave brought to the notice of the Bench headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal the visit made by Justice Patel to the areas under the expressway project from August 17 to 23 despite an assurance from the State Government that the probe would not proceed further. He said that the Government had handed over to the commission documents relating to the project and pleaded for early listing of the petition.

Counsel for the State Sanjay Hegde denied that documents were handed over to the commission. The Chief Justice told Mr. Dave that Justice Patel's visit by itself would not amount to violation of the State Government's undertaking and declined his request for early listing of the matter.

In its response, the State Government maintained that the notification for the probe was issued on the demand made by members of the Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines. It denied the allegation made by NICE that the probe had been ordered at the behest of the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. On the allegation that the Government was responsible for the delay in execution of the project, the counter affidavit said that the developer was not interested in the project as he was interested in development of real estate business.

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