Tuesday, May 3 2005 20:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Karnataka Cabinet today (May 3, 2005) decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict asking the State Government to prosecute the Chief Secretary and another senior official in the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project case.

Briefing reporters after a cabinet meeting in Bangalore this evening in the wake of the court verdict, Law Minister H K Patil said that the appeal would also be on various other issues where the State's position on the project had not been accepted by the High Court.

He said that since the Chief Secretary K K Mishra had filed the affidavit and taken action in pursuance of the direction of the Cabinet and the Government, the Cabinet was "wholeheartedly with him."

The High Court had directed prosecution of Mishra and Under Secretary M Shivalinga Swamy for perjury and withholding documents relating to the Rs 2250 crore controversial project.

Patil said that the Chief Secretary had filed the affidavit in the High Court at the direction of the Government and the Cabinet. "It is not his personal decision".

The Government and the Cabinet, he said, were in the knowledge of the affidavit. "We will support the action taken by the Chief Secretary. We will give him all assistance, even to have an advocate of his own choice", he said. "We are wholeheartedly with him", Patil said.

Asked how soon the appeal would be filed, he said that it might happen in three or four days.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayatraj M P Prakash asserted that the court verdict was not a loss of face to the Government and rejected the demand of Opposition for resignation of PWD Minister H D Revanna, saying the question did not arise.

He said that the Government understood the "agony" of the Chief Secretary and "we will stand by him".