Defying SC orders, Karnataka works on Bill to grab country’s first private road project

The draft Bill has been readied for a special legislature session starting tomorrow, said sources in the state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

The move comes after the Supreme Court, in an April 20 order, took the Karnataka government to task and cleared the expressway project. It had run into numerous roadblocks put up by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his Janata Dal (Secular) party, a partner in the previous Dharam Singh coalition.

The court not only slapped a Rs 5 lakh fine but told the state it had “malafide intention” when it appealed a Karnataka High Court ruling which favoured continuance of the project.

Now, inspired by Deve Gowda and brother H D Revanna, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy plans to pilot the Streamlining of Karnataka Infrastructure Development and Land Reforms Bill 2006. It aims to enable government takeover of large engineering projects in the state and names the BMICP specifically.

“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.

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