Following widespread criticism from its own party MLAs and several petitions pending in various courts, the BJP-led Karnataka cabinet on Thursday made a U-turn by suspending the controversial absolute sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel Ltd in Ballari.
On April 26, the cabinet headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had decided to sell off a whopping 3,667 acres land to JSW Steel, a deal it had opposed in 2019 when it was in the opposition and the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition government had favoured the lease-cum-sale agreement.
"One of the major decisions of today's cabinet meeting is to hold back the land deal with JSW company that was taken in the cabinet meeting on April 26," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Basavaraj Bommai, told reporters while briefing the cabinet decisions.