“The Bill has been discussed and finalised at the level of the public works, law and parliamentary affairs department. We would like discussion on the Bill in the legislature soon. As of now there is, however, only the Office of Profit issue on the agenda for the special session,” said Basavaraj Horatti, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister from Gowda’s Janata Dal Secular party.

“We don’t think the Bill will be a violation of the Supreme Court ruling. I would not like to comment on that,” Horatti said.

A decision on the tabling of the Bill is likely to be taken at an emergency Cabinet meeting likely to be called ahead of the session tomorrow, sources said.

Kumaraswamy’s coalition partner, the BJP, has to play ball if the Bill has to receive approval in the Cabinet and the state Assembly. In the legislative council, the opposition Congress, who are in a majority, will have to support it.

“We have not been told about the Bill yet. It did not come up in a Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning. According to me, it would need a lot more time,” said senior BJP minister Ramachandra Gowda who attended the Cabinet meeting today.

The rapid move to table the Bill to take over the BMIC project is seen to be an announcement made by NICE managing director Ashok Kheny of the opening of a small nine km stretch of the project to traffic on June 16.

With the state government not handing over nearly 2,450 acres of land required for the completion of the first phase of the project, NICE has been forced to construct their roads without entry and exit ramps.

... contd.