From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sept 3: The work on the 10-lane Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway has resulted in a mega scandal of Rs 800 crore involving its Project Director Shridhar and Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, including fraud in the payment of compensation to farmers who lost their lands, alleged Magadi JD(S) MLA A Manjunath in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Addressing media persons at the State party office, he said a delegation of JD(S) MLAs led by JD(S) legislature party leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumarawamy and former minister H D Revanna will be visiting Delhi to meet Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and submit details of the party’s charges with all evidence demanding a thorough probe on September 7.

The JD(S) MLA said the local people had warned the National Highway Authority Director Shridhar about the irregularities on the expressway work four years ago and now the entire expressway is submerged in water causing immense damage and hardships to the people and famers of the region.

``We had supported the Expressway work initially with the hope that it will lead to development and prosperity of the region. Instead, we are suffering and are in misery. We had convinced the local farmers to agree to the land acquisition and promised all cooperation to the Expressway. The problems in the payment of compensation are yet to be resolved,’’ Manjunath said blaming NHAI’s Project Director Shridhar for the injustice to farmers who lost their lands.

Manjunath said the entire 119-kms Expressway work has been executed in the most unscientific manner. There is no open access road to Bidadi or any inter-junctions along the 119 kms Expressway. The travellers don’t even have the facility to rest or have tea or at least drinking water. There is no trauma centre or crossings along the entire stretch, he said and asked Pratap Simha as to how and why he was acting as the Brand Ambassador of the Expressway.

The JD(S) MLA also attacked the Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP for giving the lame excuse saying the flooding on the Expressway was caused by water flowing from the Ramadevara Betta and wondered whether the hill had come up recently. Manjunath ridiculed Simha’s claim that he has got Rs 1,300 crore for the project and asked whether he had brought the money from his own pocket. This is tax payers’ money that was spent and wanted to know what happened to BJP MP’s bragging of opening the Expressway in 10 months when no development has been done.

The JD(S) MLA alleged that the NHAI Project Director Shridhar had looted Rs 800 crore on the Expressway and said the BJP MP must have got his share from the money. Farmers demanding compensation for land acquisition are threatened of being sent to jail, he said and asked the MP to come to Bidadi on his way from Mysuru to Bengaluru as the Expressway passes through Bidadi. The local people and farmers will see what the MP is capable of, he said.

The JD(S) MLA alleged that he has been prevented from asking questions in the Assembly on the irregularities in the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway and his questions were blocked twice as even the Assembly Speaker’s office is being ‘’managed.’’