Policy chiefs of the three ruling parties Tuesday began inspecting a section of Nakaumi Lake, where the government is planning to abandon a land reclamation project in Shimane Prefecture.
Shizuka Kamei of the Liberal Democratic Party, Katsuyuki Hikasa of New Komeito and Kiichi Inoue of the New Conservative Party met with Shimane Gov. Nobuyoshi Sumita and local municipal leaders in the afternoon.
"There is a cost-benefit issue that comes with pouring massive amounts of money (into public works projects). Whether the local economy will benefit most from (those projects) or from a different form of promotion . . . is what needs to be decided," Kamei said following the meeting.
The ruling coalition plans to announce its stance on the project following a meeting between Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries Minister Yoichi Tani on Aug. 28.