Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to inspect Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on March 9

The former Chief Minister explained why credit for the 10-lane expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru should go to the Congress party

A view of Bengaluru Mysuru Expressway, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 12. | Photo Credit: Bhagya Prakash K

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has scheduled an inspection of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on March 9.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on March 6, Mr Siddaramaiah said he would be visiting Mysuru again on March 9. He had scheduled an inspection of the expressway on the same day as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to inaugurate the road on March 12.

Mr Siddaramaiah’s inspection of the expressway comes ahead of its formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 12.

The date for the Assembly elections in Karnataka are expected to be announced any time.

The former Chief Minister claimed that credit for the 10-lane expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru should go to the Congress party. The highway, which was no more than a State highway, was upgraded to a National Highway when he was the Chief Minister and H.C. Mahadevappa was the Minister for Public Works in his Cabinet. Late Oscar Fernandes, who was the Union Minister for Road Transport in the then Congress-led Union Government, not only upgraded the State highway to a National Highway, but also approved a proposal to widen the highway into a 10-lane road.

He claimed to have travelled to Delhi, along with Mr Mahadevappa, to secure approval for widening of the road after it was upgraded to a National Highway.

He claimed that Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had no role to play in widening of the road. Except for a few kilometres from Mysuru till Kalasthavadi on its outskirts, which fall in Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency, the rest of the highway falls in the jurisdiction of other Lok Sabha constituencies, including Mandya and Bengaluru Rural, he said.

Mr Siddaramaiah claimed that Mr Mahadevappa was in the forefront for widening of the highway to a 10-lane expressway.

Mr Mahadevappa said that credit for widening the highway into a 10-lane expressway should go to the Congress party. During the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centte, a total of 2,000 km of State highway was upgraded in 2014. Mr Mahadevappa claimed to have taken forward the National Highway project as the Minister for Public Works when the Congress party was in power in Karnataka.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had subsequently come to power and executed the work, Mr Mahadevappa said.