Arkavathi project criticised in K'taka Assembly

Bangalore, Jun 27: Karnataka Assembly Speaker Krishna today allowed conversion of a question on the controversial Arkavathi house site project of the Bangalore Development Authority into a short duration discussion following a spate of questions posed by the Opposition members, urging the Government to come out with the details of the denotification.

Mr Krishna, joining the members, said notification and denotification had become a business and allowed a threadbare discussion on the issue.

To the main question raised by Mr Vatal Nagaraj of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha, Home Minister M P Prakash, replying on behalf of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, said the Government had acquired 1,224 acres for forming sites under the project, taken up during the Chief Ministership of Mr S M Krishna. Originally, 2,750 acres were notified.

Mr Nagaraj and a few Congress members raised a hue and cry over the issue and wanted the Minister to furnish the details of denotification.

Mr Roshan Baig (Congress) claimed that some prominent personalities, including politicians, who had land in the area had exerted pressure to denotify their land and wanted the Government to place the records on the floor of the House.

Mr Prakash said the issue could be discussed and if necessary, the records could be referred to by the Opposition members in the Speaker's chamber. He did not have the details and the member could pose a separate question, he added.

The Speaker, on a request from Mr Nagaraj, converted the question into a matter for a short duration discussion, to be taken up at a later date.

UNI