BENGALUR: Development issues dominated Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s trip to the national capital as he wound up his two-day visit, having met several Union ministers to push for clearances for certain projects, some which have been pending for long. It is expected that these will come as a package for Karnataka in the coming days.
Unlike his three earlier visits, where politics, including cabinet expansion and distribution of portfolios dominated the agenda, the CM seems to have created some breathing space for himself. Before boarding a flight back to Bengaluru on Wednesday, the CM called on BJP national president J P Nadda but there was no clarity on where he got the nod to fill the four vacant berths in his cabinet. According to sources, except for appointments to some boards and corporations, the cabinet expansion issue did not come for the discussion. With the 10-day Assembly session starting on September 13, the pressure will be off the CM, at least for the time being.
The endorsement of his leadership by both Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Arun Singh, during their recent visits to the state, has only cemented his position, while sending a clear message to dissidents. During his two-day stay in Delhi, Bommai vigorously followed up on various projects, both new and pending, with the Union ministers concerned. Interestingly, the memoranda also mentioned his predecessor B S Yediyurappa, as some of the projects were conceived when he was the CM.
The CM was visibly at ease when he addressed the press in New Delhi. “Firstly, we set right the land acquisition issue with respect to the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) from Dobbspet to Hosur, taken up under Bharatmala Pariyojana-I. We have agreed to share 30 per cent of the cost (Rs 1,560 crore) and give exemption on KGST on steel and cement by capping the share up to 50 per cent”, he said after holding discussions with Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Work on the STRR will commence in six months and the project will help reduce’s Bengaluru traffic congestion by half, he observed, while terming the decision as path-breaking as it had been pending for several years. He also listed out projects such as four-laning of Shiradi Ghat for which Gadkari gave his consent to take it up on priority, but after consulting experts regarding an alternative tunnel, extending the Vijayapura-Sankeshwar highway up to 160 kms, developing the Naragund-Kushtagi, Karwar-Kaiga roads among others. The Union minister has also promised to release Rs 184 crore for repair of roads affected by floods, Bommai pointed out.
“It has also been decided to set up an electronics and hardware park and a manufacturing cluster on 400 acres between Bengaluru and Kolar. Besides, a skill development centre will be set up at some other location,” the CM noted after calling on Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrashekar.