Plot is to help a Congress leader involved in loom manufacturing and procure China Silk for hefty kickback, alleges Opposition Leader R. Ashok

Mysore/Mysuru: Opposition Leader in Legislative Assembly R. Ashok dropped a bombshell by saying that the plans to build a stadium at the land belonging to KSIC Filature Factory at Bhyrapura in T. Narasipur is to only benefit an influential Congress leader, who owns a loom and also to procure raw silk from China, eyeing 400 percent commission.

Addressing a press meet at a private hotel in city this morning, Ashok said, “A powerful Congress leader runs a silk reeling unit. If this KSIC Filature Factory is stopped, the plan is to source silk reel from Congress leader to manufacture Mysore Silk saree.”

Before visiting Mysuru, Ashok took part in a protest staged by the employees of KSIC Silk Factory at Channapatna in Bengaluru South district. He will be later participating in the protest being staged by the employees of KSIC Filature Factory in T. Narasipur.

Announcing that ‘Save Mysore Silk’ protest will be intensified in the coming days, Ashok demanded that with the State budget session scheduled from March 6, the State Government should make its stand clear over the raging issue, like how it came with a succinct response to the mammoth protest staged by job aspirants at Dharwad recently, over the delay in recruitments for Government jobs.

“KSIC has registered Rs. 96 crore profit, with KSIC Silk Factory at Channapatna alone having a capacity to manufacture 1,200 sarees per day. Amidst this, KSIC GM and Secretary went on a foreign tour spending Rs. 1.4 crore,” said Ashok, hinting at the sorry state of affairs.

On the proposed stadium at T. Narasipur, Ashok said, Rs. 12 crore tender has been floated for this stadium and a whopping 60 percent commission is being collected to award the contract to a Congress leader.

It sounds like Alle Draw, Alle Bahumana (Draw the lots and win a prize at the same spot), said Ashok, in a mocking tone.

Of the total 13.11-acre land belonging to KSIC Filature Factory, 5.08-acre is allotted for stadium project. The remaining land will also be gobbled up gradually, with neither the stadium being used nor the factory, alleged Ashok.

Recalling the series of past incidents, Ashok said, Congress leaders have a disparaging attitude towards Wadiyars, the erstwhile rulers of Mysore. When it comes to Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, the Congress leaders hail Tipu Sultan ignoring Wadiyars, while there was also an attempt to belittle Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s contributions, highlighting the works of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as beyond that of Nalwadi’s.

KR MLA T.S. Srivatsa, State BJP Minority Morcha President Dr. Anil Thomas, BJP Rural President Kumbralli Subbanna, former MP Prathap Simha, former Nanjangud MLA B. Harshavardhan, former Mayor Shivakumar and others were present at the press meet.