BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) have decided to jointly raise the Bidadi Township project, alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), police recruitment, Bengaluru-Mysuru Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project by NICE, alleged misuse of Gruha Lakshmi scheme funds, alleged scam in the Valmiki Corporation, drought, Bengaluru’s inadequate waste-management system and other issues during the upcoming Legislature session starting on August 13.
Speaking to mediapersons after the BJP-JDS leaders’ meeting to discuss issues to be taken up during the session and the JDS padayatra against the Bidadi Township project, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said both the parties will work together on all major issues. A coordination committee consisting of five leaders from each party will be formed, he said.
Ashoka said BJP workers will also take part in the padayatra being organised by JDS.
The BJP leader said they have decided to jointly protest both inside and outside the state legislature when the session begins. Joint protests will also be held at the district level, he said.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy said that the BJP has extended support to the padayatra being undertaken under the leadership of JDS Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy over the Bidadi Township issue. The padayatra will be held from Byramangala to Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
The JDS leader said numerous instances show the State Government is not functioning properly.
“It took months to expand the Cabinet, and even now, portfolios have not been allocated. The manner in which the government is functioning is deeply disappointing. The delay in portfolio allocation reflects the bankruptcy of the Congress government,” Kumaraswamy said.
He said Karnataka is facing one of the most severe droughts in recent times and that the State Government has failed to provide adequate relief to the people.
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW VIEWS ON BIDADI PROJECT
The State Government has constituted a committee headed by Justice Guhanathan Narendar to comprehensively review different views being expressed over the Bidadi Township project and submit its report within 30 days. Retired Chief Secretary S V Ranganath, retired Additional Chief Secretary S R Umashankar, and retired IAS officer Prasanna Kumar are members of the committee, according to a statement issued by the government. CM DK Shivakumar has already made it clear that no land will be acquired forcibly from anyone for the project and the committee will analyse the project in a legal, humanitarian and comprehensive development framework and give its recommendations
