UNI

Bangalore, Jun 12: Throwing an open challenge to the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), which is building the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Expressway project, Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday called for an open debate to thrash out the differences and proceed with the construction work.

Kumaraswamy, who returned here after a four-day visit to the Gulf Countries, accused NICE of spreading misleading information through the media and said the government would not come in the way of building the Four lane expressway as originally intendend.

"But we do not want them to grab valuable government and private land around Bangalore," he said.

"I want to put a full stop to the entire controversy and am ready for an open and televised debate with NICE authorities to bring out all the facts regarding the project which is languishing for over a decade now," Kumaraswamy said.

He said that the government was not against the execution of the project and replied in the negative when asked whether such a controversy over a infrastructure project would have any impact on the investors in the state.

Accusing NICE of attempting to run a parallel government, Kumaraswamy said that his government would only allow the project to be built as per the original agreement. "We will fight till the end to save the interest of the state and its people," he added.

The chief minister alleged that the Company had used the influence of a former Minister to "purchase" him and added that he was not a "saleable commodity".

Referring to reports appearing in a section of the press that he had land in the area earmarked for the project quoting an affidavit filed before the last Assembly elections, Kumaraswamy asserted that the land had nothing to do with the project. Infact it was purchased by him much before the project was conceived, he said and accused NICE of having distributed the documents to the media to mislead the people.