Mysore/Mysuru: Hitting out against his own party Government in the State for agreeing to sell over 3,600 acres of land to Jindal Steel Works (JSW) at Ballari, senior BJP MLC A.H. Vishwanath has urged the Government to reconsider its decision.

Addressing a press meet at Patrakarthara Bhavan here this morning, Vishwanath wondered why the B.S.Yediyurappa Government is rushing to sell 3,667 acres land to JSW when the BJP as the Opposition party in 2019, had severely opposed the then JD(S)-Congress Government’s decision to sell the same land to JSW on a lease-cum-sale agreement.

Maintaining that JSW had pending dues running to  hundreds of crores of rupees to State-run Mysore Minerals Limited (MML),  Vishwanath said that the current Government should not forget that the BJP had opposed tooth and nail on the sale of land to JSW when it was in the opposition two years ago. 

Questioning the Government’s pricing of Rs.1.22 -1.50 lakh per acre, he said that the Government has stuck to decades old price, which is not correct. Wondering why the Ministers in the Yediyurappa cabinet, especially Anand Singh who is from Ballari, were silent on the issue, the MLC urged all the Ministers to raise the issue in the next cabinet meeting and press the Government not to go ahead  the deal, which is detrimental to the interests of the State. 

Replying to a question on whether there was any kickback in the deal, Vishwanath indirectly said that there may be one.Asserting that he would raise his voice whenever the interests of the State was in stake, Vishwanath reiterated that the Government should reconsider its decision. He also said that he would to the PM on the issue.