No corruption in steel flyover project: Siddaramaiah

MANGALURU: Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said there was total transparency in the project.

Talking to reporters here, he said opposition BJP was "spreading lies" on the project, "which was initiated during their rule in 2010."

"Many BJP legislators were in support of the project", he claimed.

"BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 budget. The party was raising objections now for reasons best known to them," he said.

The implementation of the project would largely solve traffic problems in the capital city, he said.

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai had on October 28 restrained the Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project for four weeks.

The tribunal granted interim stay on petitions from Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds.

The project was to construct a 6.72km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic.

The project had faced opposition as it allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. Farmers too had opposed the project.