The Hindu : Karnataka News : BMIC: Revanna refutes former Minister's charge

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

BMIC: Revanna refutes former Minister's charge

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JAN. 3. The Public Works Minister, H.D. Revanna, today sharply reacted to reports of the former Minister G. Puttaswamy Gowda's letter to Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, alleging that the Janata Dal (Secular) President and former Prime Miister, H.D. Deve Gowda, had insisted on a re-look at the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project to protect the interests of his family and the land "acquired by him and his sons."

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Revanna said: "If I, my brother, my father or any of my family members own any land which is part of the 2,500 acres of excess land acquired for the BMIC project, please tell Mr. Puttaswamy Gowda that we will give it away to whoever wants it without taking a paisa."

The Minister clarified that he was merely trying to redeem the promise he had made to the legislature, to look into the possibility of irregularities, or whether land was acquired from the farmers by unfair means.

Defends decision

He defended the decision to have K.C. Reddy head the committee that went into all aspects of the project, saying that he had to work with a team of 14 bureaucrats, all secretaries of various departments.

"My prime concern is that the BMIC should happen, and it should happen within the framework of law," he said, and added that the entire exercise was taken up to determine whether excess land had indeed been acquired.

Now that it has been found that 2,500 acres of land was acquired in excess of the requirement, the Government, having accepted the recommendations of the interim report of the committee, will see how this can be rectified.

Final report

The final report of the committee is expected in a fortnight, and Mr. Revanna said it is not likely to be vastly different from the interim report.

Asked about the BMIC promoters, the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise, deciding to go to court contesting the Government's claim on excess land, Mr. Revanna said it does not affect the decision of the Government.

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