BANGALORE: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Rajya Sabha member B.K. Hariprasad on Tuesday alleged that the Greater Bangalore project is a conspiracy by the State Government to postpone elections to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 15th BangaloreOne centre in Bashyamnagar, Mr. Hariprasad said the elections should not be put off at any cost. The Congress would not allow the Government to deprive citizens of their right to elect their representatives, he said.

"It has not been possible to develop the existing areas within the city even with a Rs. 1,800 crore budget. Where is the money for developing the new areas that will be added to form a Greater Bangalore? It is not fair to take loans from financial institutions for development and pass on the burden to the citizens," he said.

Mr. Hariprasad criticised the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board and the BMP for not giving "hakku patras" (title deeds) to slum dwellers. "Every time these poor people are promised hakku patras and are given only some papers," he said.

Mayor Mumtaz Begum blamed the bureaucracy in the BMP for the delay in the construction of Dr. Rajkumar memorial glasshouse and several other welfare schemes announced in the BMP budget.

Pointing out that the BMP Council had approved the file pertaining to the construction of the glasshouse, the Mayor said Rs. 2 crore had also been set aside for the memorial.

"The foundation stone was laid during the Kempegowda Day celebrations. The idea was to inaugurate it on October 2. It is unfortunate that work has not progressed because of some problems in the administration," she said.

The proposal to give eight Maruti vans to unemployed youths in each ward had also not materialised because of the officials, she said.

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