Date:09/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/09/stories/2008070955641500.htm

National

Gowda: set deadline for expressway project

S. Rajendran

BANGALORE: The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, who has been fighting against “violations” in implementation of the Bangalore-Mysore Expressway project, has called upon Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to issue a deadline for the promoters to begin work. The expressway has been pending for nearly 14 years.

Mr. Gowda, who is national president of the Janata Dal (Secular), told The Hindu that the project should be implemented strictly in accordance with April 2006 Supreme Court order. It is being implemented by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) and the framework agreement was signed in 1997.

Swiss challenge method

Mr. Gowda said the government should adhere to the H.D. Kumaraswamy regime’s decision, to adopt the Swiss challenge method of inviting new contractors to undertake major and long pending projects. This method formed part of the new Infrastructure Policy announced by the then government. Prior to the adoption of the policy, it wrote several letters to NICE, asking it to speed up the project in accordance with the court order.

Mr. Yeddyurappa was Deputy Chief Minister in the Kumaraswamy government and was party to the Cabinet decision, Mr. Gowda pointed out.

Asked about the pending case in the apex court over the Kumaraswamy government inviting global tenders for completing the expressway project, he said it was for the government to get the stay vacated. The government, during President’s rule (in February) filed an affidavit in the Karnataka High Court, referring to “all the measures it had taken to implement the BMIC [Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor] Project as originally conceived. It said the promoter had been given ownership of excess land [2289.7 acres] valued at Rs. 30,000 crore as of date.” The Kumaraswamy government had also filed similar affidavits before the apex court.