Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: Transport Minister and BTM Layout MLA Ramalinga Reddy said the previous BJP government diverted Rs 30 crore meant to lay a new road between Ejipura (Inner Ring Road) to Agara Lake (Sarjapur Main Road).
Part of the Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2015, he said the funds were earmarked for the project as it would have provided vital infrastructure between Old Madras Road (Indiranagar) and Outer Ring Road.
The project was first delayed as it required defence land and then went into cold storage after the grants were withdrawn in March this year.
"Interactions were held on multiple occasions with the Defence Ministry for land handover. The central government had also agreed in principle to hand over the land required to the BBMP, subject to receiving compensatory land in exchange. However, to date, the actual handover has not happened,” Reddy wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He said the funds were diverted to some assembly constituency (Padmanabhanagar) in the run-up to the elections.
“The then government showed no inclination or interest in taking up this road project. Our state government is ready to develop this road provided the central government facilitates the handover of defence land to the BBMP,” Reddy said.