War of words over piped gas project in Mysuru rages

Pratap Simha again hits out at S.A. Ramdas, Nagendra

The war of words between elected representatives of the BJP in Mysuru over the piped gas project continued to rage on Saturday with Pratap Simha, MP, hitting out at party MLAs representing Krishnaraja and Chamaraja constituencies in Mysuru S. A. Ramdas and L. Nagendra.

After clarifying that the dug-up roads will be repaired by the company that had been entrusted with the project to lay the gas pipeline, Mr. Simha questioned the two MLAs over their silence when the roads had been dug up earlier by JUSCO, a private company that implemented a water management project, or by private telecom service providers. While Mr. Ramdas had served earlier also as MLA, Mr. Nagendra had served as a corporator of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), the MP pointed out.

Mr. Simha also mocked at Mr. Nagendra’s claim that roads had been laid in his constituency at a cost of ₹300 crore and wondered whether he had managed to get such a huge amount of money sanctioned for his constituency. The roads laid in his constituency were of such poor quality that they would wear off in less than a year’s time.

While questioning Mr. Nagendra if he had brought at least ₹30 crore for his constituency, Mr. Simha asked the Chamaraja MLA to use his good offices to bring funds for the development of K.R. Hospital which was infested with mosquitoes and affected by dog menace.

The MP claimed credit for the repair of the water storage tank in Chamaraja constituency, besides bringing the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) that has avoided the need for people in Mysuru to go to the PSK in Bengaluru for renewing their passports and other related work. Mr. Simha said the flights to Goa, which had facilitated a few MLAs from the city to take their followers on a trip, had been brought by him.

Mr. Simha also claimed credit for asphalting the Outer Ring Road, besides the ongoing widening of Mysuru-Bengaluru highway.

In contrast, Mr. Simha said Mr. Nagendra’s predecessor and former MLA Vasu, who brought Jayadeva Hospital, district hospital and other facilities to Chamaraja, had been modest despite his achievements.

The MP also turned his guns on Krishnaraja MLA S.A. Ramdas and said that it was because of his (Mr. Simha’s) efforts that the residents of the constituency were relieved of the foul and nauseating odour emanating from the piles of garbage at the waste treatment plant at Vidyaranyapuram. He said he was instrumental in taking up a project to clear the more than 3 lakh tonnes of legacy waste piled up across several acres of land at the treatment plant for the last several years.

While regretting the opposition to the piped gas project from MLAs of Krishnaraja and Chamaraja constituencies, Mr. Simha said there was no such objection from either Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait belonging to the Congress party or Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, who is technically a JD(S) MLA.