JD(S)- Congress decide to take a look at the 2,100-crore steel bridge project

BENGALURU: On Tuesday the JD(S)- Congress government had touched off a controversy after it made a decision to verify at the Rs 2,100-crore steel bridge between the Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal with a distance of 6.9km which had been put on hold for the past two years due to the after unremitting opposition by the civic activists, citizens and environmentalists.

The deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and the water resources minister DK Shivakumar defended the project at a press conference, by saying that it had offered the “best solution” to ease up the congestion on the international airport road.

“We’ve decided to take a relook at the project. I have spoken to CM HD Kumaraswamy. We will bring it before the cabinet soon. It is a beautiful project. I don’t know why people are opposing it. We will put the project details in public domain, and let people suggest its shortcomings,” the deputy CM said. 

In a coordinated press conference, Shivakumar had said that, “I’d have heard the protesters out and modified the project, if required. I’d never have gone back on it. (Then CM) Siddaramaiah respected the opposition and dropped the project.”

Parameshwara had also expressed similar thoughts, “Let [critics] say what’s wrong with the project. The government is open to suggestions, it has nothing to hide. Our intention is to solve the airport road traffic problems.”

Shivakumar told a source that, “The world is looking at Bengaluru and time is money. Bengalureans need infrastructure as they are honest taxpayers. Let the BJP study alternatives to the project instead of engaging in blackmail. More work and more strength beget more enemies.”