Bengaluru, March 11: Senior Congress leader and former minister Dr H. C. Mahadevappa has alleged that the BJP was desperate to garner Vokkaliga votes and hence it was getting the Expressway inaugurated before its completion.
Speaking to The Newz Peg over phone, Dr Mahadevappa said out of total 34 underpasses, only 22 are completed. Out of 12 overpasses, only six are completed. “Moreover, there is work pending on service roads. What is the point in getting the half-finished Expressway inaugurated if not for electoral considerations,” Dr Mahadevappa asked.
Dr Mahadevappa, who had earlier worked as PWD minister, claimed that the road project was approved in the Congress government regime and then recommended to the Centre to be taken up by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The then Union Surface Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes had given clearance. Essentially, this is Congress dream-project,” he explained.
According to Dr Mahadevappa, the BJP is both shameless as well as desperate as it has no principles and morals on matters related to public interest. “All that the BJP thinks is vote, power and money,” Dr Mahadevappa added.
He also claimed that the original cost of the project was Rs 3000 crores but it was escalated to Rs 12,000 crores due to inordinate delay by the BJP which ruled the state between 2008 and 2013.
“Later, our was the Congress government under Siddaramaiah’s leadership the work went on a faster pace. The BJP had only carried forward what was originally started by the Congress,” Dr Mahadevappa explained.
EOM
