Mangaluru: Stoutly denying allegations that there was corruption in the controversial Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project conceived for Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) for four weeks, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed there was total transparency in the project.
Talking to reporters here, he said the opposition 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 state budget. The party is objecting now for reasons best known to them," he said, adding the project will largely solve traffic problems in the capital city.
The southern bench of NGT in Chennai had on October 28, restrained Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project and granted an interim stay on petitions filed by Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds.
The project was to construct a 6.72 km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic and allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees.
The CM also said adequate security had been arranged across Karnataka for Tipu Jayanthi celebrations on November 10. “Hindu outfits including RSS are spreading communal hatred by opposing the celebrations,” he said.
