Tuesday, August 30 2005 18:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Amidst continued opposition by his coalition government partner Janata Dal Secular (JDS) to the much-delayed Metro rail project, Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (Aug 30, 2005) firmly ruled out a re-look at the project, but assured to address the concerns expressed by the former Prime Minister H D Devegowda.

"The proposed Metro Rail and International Airport projects will not be put on hold and would be implemented", Singh asserted while talking to reporters here. When scribes drew his attention to Gowda's missive to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reconsider the Centre's decision on the Metro Rail project, Singh said, he too has received a similar letter and would hold talks with the JDS chief soon.

Singh said the Public Investment Board has already cleared the project. The state government has announced plans to launch work on the metro rail project from November one as a gift to the people of Bangalore on the occasion of the state's reorganisation day.

Gowda, though has maintained that he is not opposed to metro rail, however, has been objecting to it on the ground that it is prohibitively expensive and not a final solution to ease congestion. Gowda has been advocating implementation of mono rail project.

Meanwhile, at another press conference, Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash, said the state would consider the issues raised by Gowda on the metro rail project. The senior JDS leader, however said Gowda was not opposed to the metro rail project.

Prakash also took exception to the opposition being expressed by the Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Iyer to the ONGC's mega petro-chemicals project proposed in Mangalore. Recently, the Prime Minister gave the green signal to the project.