Bangalore, Dec 26: Karnataka government today rubbished former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's allegation that the Bangalore-Mysore infrastructure corridor project was being converted into a "real estate project", describing his charge as "irresponsible, reckless and a publicity gimmick". The government deployed two of its senior ministers--minister for public works N Dharm Singh and minister for large and medium industries minister R V Deshpande to refute the charge and offer clarifications on allegations Gowda made last Sunday.

Addressing a press meet here, Singh and Deshpande mounted an attack on Gowda for making what they termed "baseless and false" allegations with an intent to cast a slur on the image of Chief Minister S M Krishna's government.

Deshpande said that the government would examine whether it can proceed legally against Gowda for making the charges and a decision would be taken after consulting Krishna.
"BMIC project is a baby of Gowda, as it is he who signed the MoU when he was the chief minister in 1994. We don't know why he is trying to kill his own baby" Deshpande, who was also in the Janata Dal ministry led by Gowda, said.

Both the ministers asserted that congress government had not effected any change in the concept of the project proposed under boot or townships.

Gowda had charged that Krishna and chief secretary B S Patil had 'colluded to turn the project into a real estate one’.

Bureau Report