The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy in a war of words in Assembly

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Friday, Aug 03, 2007
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy in a war of words in Assembly

Staff Reporter

Land acquisition for special economic zones was the subject

BANGALORE: Members in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a verbal warfare, although couched in parliamentary parlance, between the young leaders of the ruling coalition and the Congress, namely, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and D.K. Shivakumar. The subject which provided them an opportunity was a debate on land for special economic zones around Bangalore.

The interesting part of it was while Mr. Kumaraswamy fired salvos at his bete noire by touching upon certain sensitive issues, Mr. Shivakumar went on the defensive and for while maintained a low profile.

The two leaders represent Ramanagaram and Sathanur constituencies in Bangalore Rural district.

Mr. Kumaraswamy first chose to put the ball in the Congress court when he started giving details of how it was the Union Government which initiated the special economic zone (SEZ) project. He said that the Union Government had issued circulars to the States with a warning: complete the process of giving clearance to SEZs within 60 days or else drop them.

He said that the State Government had added more conditions than what the Union Government had stipulated, so that the interests of the farmers were protected.

Referring to the attack on him in Ramanagaram, the Chief Minister admitted that he had no courage like the Congress leader and said that he had seen both victory and defeat in the elections. But he had fought on his own, whereas Mr. Shivakumar had the shelter of a national party, which supported him to the hilt.

To this, Mr. Shivakumar replied that he too had won an election as an independent candidate. He reminded the Congress members that the satellite township project was conceived by S.M. Krishna Government and lauded as a great idea by the members in his Cabinet.

He said that the S.M. Krishna Government had approved acquisition of 18,000 acres and another 18,600 acres by his predecessor, whereas his Government had given in-principle approval to acquire 18,900 acres.

Mr. Shivakumar tried to squirm and said that he had only said that the Government was thinking and not charged it with acquiring 1,19,000 acres of land.

Quoting a Kannada adage, the Chief Minister ridiculed the Congress leaders for their awakening after all the land was acquired. Pointing his finger at Mr. Shivakumar, the Chief Minister said that “it was you (as the Minister for Urban Development in the S.M. Krishna Government) who issued the gazette notification for the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project Authority giving powers to utilise 1,75,250 acres of land.”

But, Mr. Shivakumar only said that it was initiated by the previous Government.

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