SC lawyer seeks probe against Karnataka CM over steel flyover row

Bengaluru [India], Oct. 28 (ANI): As the heat over the construction of a steel flyover intensifies, Senior Supreme Court lawyer K.V. Dhananjay has alleged that the project is marred with corruption and demanded that a probe be initiated against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the state's Development Minister, K.J. George. "This project is an insult to the people of Karnataka because anybody who has ever constructed a house knows what concrete will cost and what steel will cost. This is a corruption project, and therefore, the honourable chief minister and the Development Minister K.J.George should be criminally investigated for floating this corruption project. This is an act of massive corruption. The government has kept the whole project in a very secretive manner, it's almost as if they are building some nuclear arsenal," Dhananjay told ANI. Meanwhile, former IAS Officer M N Vijay Kumar claimed that important documents pertaining to the cost of the project has been suppressed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). "I have put the information on the internet. My demand is don't suppress, take action and, I am sending a copy of all the documents to the registrar general of the High Court of Karnataka," Kumar told ANI. On Thursday, Bengalureans approached the National Green Tribunal over the construction of the steel flyover which requires the axing of almost 812 trees. The green board on Friday put the entire project on hold for four weeks. The tribunal sought a detailed report from the state government on the environmental impact assessment before going ahead with the work. Earlier, citizens had met Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala seeking cancellation of the tender to Larsen & Toubro, who have been given the contract to construct the flyover. Meanwhile, the 'tree vigil' will commence from November, where citizen volunteers will hold regular day and night vigil on the stretch from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal to save the trees which are to be axed for the project. (ANI)