The Karnataka cabinet on Friday decided to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to examine the proposal on the sale of 2,000.58 acres land from Kurekuppa village and 1667 acres from another village, to JSW Steel in Ballari district and make a suitable recommendation.
Speaking to reporters here after a cabinet meeting, he said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has been authorised to constitute the sub-committee. The committee is likely to be headed by industries minister Jagadish Shettar, with law minister JC Madhuswamy, mines and geology minister CC Patil and forest minister BS Anand Singh as the other minister.
It was decided in 2005 to give 2,000.58 acres of government land at a Kurekuppa village near Toranagallu in Sandur taluk of Ballari to JSW. To examine it, a cabinet sub-committee will be constituted.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy
The previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government too had constituted a four-member cabinet sub-committee headed by the then Home Minister M B Patil to examine the proposal, as its decision to convert the lease of about 3,667 acres to JSW Steel at Ballari into sale, in accordance with the initial agreement, had created a row.
Accusing the Congress-JD(S) coalition government of selling the land to the company at a throwaway price (Rs 1.22 -1.50 lakh per acre), the BJP, then in opposition, had held a two-day round-the-clock sit-in. Yediyurappa, who was then a state BJP president, had even accused the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition of getting “kickbacks” for the sale of land.
In 2005, when Dharam Singh was the chief minister, the Cabinet had decided to give on lease-cum-sale arrangement 2,000.58 acres to JSW. An order on this was issued by the JD(S)-BJP coalition government that came to power thereafter when Kumaraswamy was chief minister and B S Yeddyurappa was industries minister.
In 2007, another 1,666 acres were allotted. In another decision, after giving in-principle approval to create Vijayanagara as the state”s 31st district, carving it out from the mine-rich Ballari, the cabinet today said it has identified taluks for the new district and will be issuing a notification.
Hosapet, Kudligi, Hagaribommanahalli, Kotturu, Huvina Hadagali and Harapanahalli will form part of the proposed Vijayanagara district, Madhuswamy said.