BENGALURU: Twenty-four hours after he made an announcement of constructing flyovers within the highly eco-sensitive Bandipur Tiger reserve, public works department (PWD) minister H D Revanna on Friday said he or his department has not given any consent for the proposed central government project that connects Kerala and Karnataka along national highway 212.

“You (media) should go and ask the chief secretary in this regard. We have not given any approval for the project. Any project, when proposed within forest area has to be given consent first by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and the Supreme Court. If they say that the project cannot be carried out, who are we to push for it?” retorted Revanna.

Lending the same justification, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy also said the Karnataka government has not given any written consent towards the construction of flyovers inside the Bandipur tiger reserve or lifting of the night travel ban inside the sanctuary.

“It is only the centre which has filed an affidavit in this regard, quoting the Karnataka government giving an in-principle approval. However, we have not given any written consent in this regard,” said Kumaraswamy.

Earlier, Kumaraswamy’s brother and minister Revanna evaded all questions over how the chief secretary could give his approval without the government backing it.

“I do not have answers to these questions and all of it will have to be answered by the chief secretary,” he said.

According to the CMO, Kumaraswamy had given an oral “in-principle” approval for the flyover construction and nothing in writing, during his meeting with union minister for road and surface transport Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi last month.

“When the Union minister spoke of the project, the CM said the government will have no objection for the flyovers provided it does not harm the environment and the wildlife inside Bandipur. But this was never given in writing. The centre has quoted the words of the Karnataka government but has no written communication,” said a personnel privy to the union minister meeting.

Meanwhile, PWD officials cite that the government has sought for a project report from the chief engineer for the NHAI in Karnataka before giving any written communication for the project.

“The state government has sought for the flyover project report, for which Kerala and centre have given their approval. Now, Karnataka government will respond to the centre’s proposal of the flyover only after getting the project report from NHAI,” said a PWD official.

It is said the government is banking on the MoEF and the SC scrapping the project with clearances for the flyover project and lifting of night ban likely to be “near impossible”.

Government officials cite that the project is primarily a political decision with pressure from the Kerala government on Karnataka, with the JD(S) being a partner of ruling left democratic front (LDF) in that state.

