SC moved on Mysore highway order

The Karnataka government has filed an apeal in the Supreme Court challenging the high court order asking its registrar to prosecute the chief secretary and an undersecretary for perjury in the Bangalore-Mysore expressway case.

The high court, in its May 3 judgment, castigated the government and the officials for undue delay in the project and allowed Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises to go ahead with the Rs 2,250-crore project, which was stalled for nearly eight years.

The delay was mainly attributed to the objection of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda that excess land had been acquired for the project. His son H D Revanna Gowda is the PWD minister in the present Cabinet.

In its judgment, the high court had said the change of stand of the state government was not because of fraud or misrepresentation but "because a new PWD minister sent a note on July 6, 2004 to his principal secretary pointing out allegations made by the ex-prime minister".

The high court had also quashed the government order constituting two committees, one to review the project and another to enquire whether irregularities had taken place in the allotment of land for the project.

The Cabinet has decided to defend its officials --- chief secretary K K Misra and Under Secretary M Shivalingaswamy. The Supreme Court has not fixed any date for hearing the appeal.