No graft in steel flyover project: Siddaramaiah

BJP, was spreading lies on the project, says Karnataka CM

Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761-crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said there was total transparency in the project.
 
Talking to reporters here, he said opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was “spreading lies” on the project, “which was initiated during their rule in 2010”.
 
“Many BJP legislators were in support of the project,” he claimed.
 

“The BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 budget. The party was raising objections now for reasons best known to them,” he said. The implementation of the project would largely solve traffic problems in the capital city, he said.

 
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai had on October 28 restrained the Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project for four weeks.
 
The tribunal granted interim stay on petitions from Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds.
 
The project was to construct a 6.72km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic.
 
The project had faced opposition as it allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. Farmers too had opposed the project. Siddaramaiah said adequate security had been arranged across Karnataka for the 'Tipu Jayanthi' celebration on November 10.

"Hindu outfits including the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) were spreading communal hatred by opposing the celebrations," he said.
 
To a question on RSS worker Rudresh's murder, he said stringent action would be taken against the culprits. Four persons had already been arrested in the case, he said, adding, the role of Popular Front of India in the murder had not yet been proved.
 
Rudresh was hacked to death by two motorcycle-borne men on Kamaraja Road in Bengaluru on October 16 when he was with his friends, after attending a Sangh event.
 
He said a meeting had been called on November 3 to discuss the proposal for a separate sand policy for coastal districts.